Among The Dead
by coffeeluver13
Summary: Katie Grimes is a survivor of the apocalypse and being second in command isn't all that's on her plate. She has to deal with her ex Shane who wants her back at any cost, parenting her nephew Carl along with protecting him, and being secretly in love with her best friend, Daryl Dixon. Oh, and of course living among walkers don't make any of that easier to deal with. Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Thank you for clicking on my story! I don't know if I should continue it so please let me know what you are thinking. I will at least post four chapters before I decide. I also respond to my reviews if I have more than three per chapter. So review rather you are a guest or another author! **_

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_**Among the Dead**_

**Chapter 1**

Who am I anymore? I don't know. I look in the mirror and I don't see my own reflection. I talk and I don't recognize the sound of my own voice. I feel as if somebody else is in my body. I don't feel like I am myself anymore. Why do I feel like such a stranger in my own body?  
I crouch down and look at my reflection in the water. My pale face is covered in blood, my blue eyes looked cold and hurt, my brown hair no longer had shine in it and had many split ends. Who am I anymore? I know who I used to be. I used to be Katherine Selena Grimes, 27, sister and aunt. That was before the world turned to shit. I'm no longer a sister and I'm a very shitty aunt, that's for sure.

I watched the world die just like everyone else, but I somehow made it out. I wasn't anything special. I was your normal, everyday workaholic. I was at a point in my life were I didn't know what to do with myself. As a major news reporter of Atlanta, 27 and single, I felt like I had a sturdy life. But I always felt out of place. I was the younger sister of Rick Grimes and we were close since the day I was born. But Rick grew up and left home, never looking back, only seeing me twice a year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ever since I got out of college all my friends started to get married. I accepted that, my career nowhere near being stable. Plus, my world was just starting. A few years later they all started to have kids, and I had a sturdy boyfriend that I loved very much and actually imagined a life with him. But things changed as my career progressed and I learned that he secretly thought that was just kidding myself and if we got married would need to quit my job and become a stay at home mom. I dumped him and told him to wake up, this wasn't 1890. Then they started popping out their second or third and I became the lead anchor of the Atlanta news. My life couldn't get any better. I was dating my brothers best friend Shane Walsh and the only kid I needed at the time was my nephew, Carl. In my opinion his mother was not suitable and I really hated Lori since the day I met her. Everything about her made me hate her more; the way she never knew where her kid was, the way she made my brother miserable. Then after one drunk night at a holiday party, I caught Shane flirting with Lori one day and I realized how miserable I really was. I stopped seeing Shane for I realized he was secretly in love with Lori, but became friends with benefits without the friends part, and I stopped talking to Lori in general which was a blessing. Then at another party on another drunken night I told her how I really felt and was kicked out of the house and banned from seeing my nephew, even though I still did with Rick's help. I was a mess. I was lost. So I dove into my work and shut almost everybody off from my life, even Shane, telling him it was over for forever.

"Katherine, go home. You need to stop working." My boss said as I re-read tomorrows stories. At the office, all the office lights were off except mine. I knew that the janitor woman was still here but no one else other than my boss. I was used to working late and I enjoyed it, it keeping my mind off of my life outside of it. My boss Henry was about twenty years older than me with a thick brown mustache. Everybody thought he looked like a less attractive Ron Burgundy from Anchorman and he reeked of cheese crackers.  
"No I don't. I'm fine."  
"Katherine..."  
"I said I'm fine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll leave in thirty minutes. I just have to fix these a bit..." I made another correction to the paper, marking out the original with red ink.  
He narrowed his eyebrows. "Fix them? What's wrong with what George wrote?"  
I lined all the papers up, tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my ear that fell loose. "Quite a bit actually. I think George was drunk when he wrote these. The grammar isn't proper and it doesn't make any sense. I don't want to make any fool of myself on live television."  
He laughed a bit, his breath reeking in the same cheese crackers he always smelled like. "Oh Katherine, you take your job very seriously."  
"Thank you sir."  
Henry nodded. "Well, you are taking the week off. You never take vacations and are never sick."  
"Sir..."  
"Don't sir me. Once you finish your corrections, you may leave for the week, one hundred percent excused."  
"Sir, I don't know what I would do with myself." I said honestly.  
He took a drag of his electronic cigarette before tucking it into his back pocket. "Don't you have a boyfriend, a rich, famous, beautiful girl like you?"  
I felt as if that comment was a tad inappropriate for a boss to be saying but I just shook my head. "No sir. We broke up a while ago."  
"I swear you had a kid. Cam was it?"  
"Carl. And no, he's my nephew."  
"Then why don't you go visit your family for the week?"  
I bit her lip, twirling the small diamond pendant I was wearing. "I messed things up."  
"That bad?" He asked.  
I nodded. "I called my sister-in-law a stupid bitch who shouldn't be a mother."  
For the first time my boss smiled. "Well, did she deserve it?"  
"I was drunk."  
"That wasn't my question, Katherine. Did she deserve it is what I asked."  
I nodded. "Completely sir."  
"Then go. Your brother can't say no and that kid worships you from what I've seen."  
Confusion drifted across my face. "What have you seen?"  
"For bring your kid to work day, you brought Cam."  
"Carl."  
"Still. You could just tell." my boss leaned over the desk. "Go Katherine. Or the kid will think you abandoned him with his bitch of a mother."  
I smiled a bit and gave the script to my boss. "Thank you." I started to gather things in my briefcase.  
"I thought this wasn't good."  
"Oh, it is. I just finished it while we were talking."

* * *

I stood in front of my brothers white house. It was everything you could expect from the family man's house. White picket fence, green spades of grass, perfectly painted house with a welcome mat under the door. It was just the type of house Rick and I was raised in, though looks can be deceiving. I knocked on the door and heard voices on the other side. The door swung open to show my nephew who was grinning widely. "Aunt Katie!" He launched on me, giving me a huge hug.  
"Whoa there kid! Your going to knock me over!"  
Carl let me go, still grinning from ear to ear. "I missed you."  
"Kid, it's been two weeks."  
"Still..."  
I smiled. "I missed you too."  
He let out a breath that sounded relived. "It's a good thing you are here. I didn't think that mom would call you."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "Your mom called me?"  
His eyes went huge and his breathing caught. "You don't know?"  
"Know what?"  
His eyes were filled with sadness, shock, and surprise, all reasons I didn't know belonged.  
I stepped into the house, hearing a clanging sound from up the stairs. "Hey Lori, get down here!" I yelled.  
My sister-in-law emerged from the stairs, looking livid. "Carl, did you let her in here?" She demanded.  
"Yeah, he should be able too. I'm his aunt."  
"No you aren't."  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm pretty sure I am. I raised this kid more than you did so I think I can come in this house."  
"This house is mine."  
"It's not. It's under Rick's name."  
She stopped breathing too.  
"You didn't tell her?" Carl asked with a hushed voice.  
"Carl, go upstairs."  
"No."  
"Carl! Now is not the time to argue!" Lori walked right up to me. "I will call the police and get you off my property."  
I tilted my head to the side. "Alright. Call Rick. I'd like to see him kick his only family off of his property for his only sister to see her nephew."  
"Dad won't come." Carl muttered.  
"Carl!" Lori hissed.  
"Why not?" I demanded at her.  
"None of your business!" She snapped.  
"It's her brother..."  
"Carl!"  
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" I yelled, making her shut the hell up.  
She sighed. "Rick is in a coma."  
I didn't know what I was doing. My body wasn't connecting with my un-responsive brain. My arm swung back and slapped Lori across the face, leaving a puffy red mark.

* * *

"I'm sorry I slapped your mom..." I muttered to Carl as we were watching the news a few minutes later.  
"No you're not. I don't blame you though."

"You should."  
The kid turned to me. "I really don't though. She should have told you."  
I didn't know what else to say so I just turned to the TV. There was some movie commercial on about dead people eating the living.  
"Wow. That's graphic." I mumbled.  
"Aunt Katie?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I think that's real."  
I sighed. "Carl you know the stuff in the movies aren't real. I thought we went over this when you were four?"  
"No. I mean, I think it's real."  
I turned to the tv to see the same thing, but different people and a different dead person. On the bottom of the screen it said to get to Atlanta for safety. "Hey Carl, turn off the mute."  
The kid un-muted the TV and Garry from the station was on. "This is a huge warning. The dead have come back to life and started to kill people. The CDC doesn't know how this happened, only that it is a virus that can be passed down by a bite or scratch. Don't let these things come near you. They are not people in any way. In Atlanta there is a safe zone where they are holding people for safety. Grab you and your loved ones and get down there."  
I leaned back in the couch and ran my fingers through my hair. "This can't be happening." I whispered.  
"It is." I heard from behind me. I whipped around to see Shane, standing there with his bags. "Now we have to get both of you out of here and to Atlanta before something else happens." He got his first good look and stopped, eyes wide. "You're not Lori."  
I shook my head. "And thank god for that." I got up along with Carl. "Hey kid, go get packed. I'll be up to help you in a minute."  
Carl slowly got off the couch and made his way up the stairs.  
Shane started to talk, but I held up my hand in an attempt to shut him up.  
"What are we going to do about Rick?" I asked, my voice low.  
Shane sighed. "Kate, the hospital is filled with them. No way Rick is alive."  
I felt water fill my eyes and I turned away, not wanting him to see me cry. "You can't be sure about that."  
"I am."  
My lip started to tremble. "He can't be dead. He's...He's Rick."  
"What part of the hospital is overrun by these things don't you understand, Kate? His heart stopped beating."  
I leaned against the post of the stairs, hooking my fingers together and putting them behind my head, tilting it back. "How are we going to tell Carl?"  
"Same way I told you. He is sure to say something."  
"Yes well you can't just be like, 'hey kid, your dad is dead or half dead or the thing you saw on the TV'. Are you a damn idiot?"  
"Rick is dead?" Someone gasped from the stairs. Lori was standing right there, wide eyes with her fingertips pressing against her lips. "Like, gone?"  
Shane nodded. "Yeah."  
She walked up to him and hugged him, making it real awkward for me.  
"You're going to be fine." He said, petting her hair like she was a dog. Well...she was. "I'll take care of you, Carl.." He looked over at me with saddened eyes. "and Katie."  
"Where are we going?" she whispered into his shoulder.  
I didn't want to hear anymore so I ran up the stairs, not wanting for them to see me cry. I walked right into the guest bedroom and fell on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably for the loss of my only sibling, the only family other than Carl that I had left.

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_**Author's Note: Let me know if you think I should continue or not!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Shane told us there was a safe zone in Atlanta, that the CDC organized it and we would live there until this whole apocalypse thing was all cleared up. But the rest of the world also got that message, leaving us stuck outside of Atlanta in a huge traffic jam. Nobody moved for at least an hour and everyone was getting restless, honking their horns and yelling out their windows. So after two hours we knew it was a lost cause. It was dark out and you could see the lights of the cars flashing at people got out of their cars to get a better idea of what was going on.  
Shane and Lori told Carl about what happened, leaving his face tear-stained with puffy eyes and a red nose. I wanted to take away the kids pain, have it all absorb into me, so he will feel nothing but joy. But I couldn't do that. All I could do was hold Carl as his father slipped from his grasp.  
I got out the car, smiling at my nephew as much as I could. "Hey Carl, want to come stretch your legs with me?"  
He nodded and slid out of the car, slamming the door behind him. We walked a few cars over, giving Lori and Shane to talk.  
I stopped and crouched down so I was eye level with him. "You gotta be strong kid." I said, holding on to his shoulders. "You have to stay alive and fight for it. There will be tough times, but you have to keep strong. Do you understand?"  
He nodded again.  
I wrapped my arms around him and held him close to me. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."  
"I know." It was the first thing I had heard him say since Lori broke the news.  
"I love you."  
"I love you too." I let go of him and smiled.  
"Excuse me." Somebody said. She was skinny and tall with chopped off hair, a little girl at her side. "Do you know what's going on?"  
I shook my head. "I know just as much as everybody else. I'm sorry."  
The woman leaned over and extended her hand. "I'm Carol and this is Sophia."  
I shook her hand and smiled. "I'm Katherine and this is Carl."  
The little girl hopped down and stood next to Carl, shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Carl."  
"You too." He said shyly with a bit of a blush. "Aunt Katie, I'm hungry."  
"I think I have something in my purse..."  
Carol smiled. "No need. I can get him something..." She disappeared to the other side, but a man stopped her.  
"You think you can just give away our food to some stranger who probably got knocked up in highschool?" He snapped at her, clearly drunk off of his ass.  
She looked down. "The kid is hungry. We have plenty..."  
"Tell them you were mistaken, you stupid bitch. Or we won't have any food if something goes wrong. Do you want our kid to starve?!"  
Carol reappeared. "I'm sorry. We don't have any." She said shamefully.  
"It's fine, thank you for the offer." I said putting my arm around Carl's shoulders.  
"It was nice meeting you." Carl called after Sophia.  
"You too." she said, just as depressed as her mother.  
We walked back to the car, opening up the door and grabbing a granola bar from my purse and handing it to my nephew.  
"Where did you two go?" Lori demanded, hands on her hips.  
I rolled my eyes, annoyed by her trying to be a mother. "Relax. We went to go stretch our legs."  
"We met some nice people." Carl chimed in.  
Lori, noticing her son's change of attitude, softened up. "Alright. Just stay close." She looked at her kid and crouched down. "And you stay by Kate, you hear me?"  
He nodded, taking a bite of his granola bar.  
Lori walked over to Shane who was talking to a man and his family.  
I heard a wolf whistle from behind me and whipped around.  
"How ya doin' honey?" A redneck man asked, smoking a cigarette. "Ya know, ya should stick with me during this thing. I could take care of a sweet ass girl like ya."  
I rolled my eyes. "Like you could keep up with me."  
"I like challenges."  
Carl looked at him weird, then at me.  
"That your kid?" The man asked, tossing his smoke out of the window.  
"Merle." Another man from the passenger side called. "Leave her alone, will ya? This is ain't the time."  
"Oh little brother, now is the time. It's not everyday when ya come across a woman like this." Merle said, grinning at me.  
His brother rolled his eyes and focused on the road ahead. "She's just another girl."  
"Prettiest little thang I ever saw."  
"CARL!" Shane snapped, rushing over to us. "Don't associate yourself with these men." He hissed mostly at me.  
I put my hands on my hips. "What? You don't think I can take care of myself?"  
"Kate, now is not the time. You're being stupid." He said to me like I was a child.  
"Go take Carl. I'm going to have a smoke."  
"You don't smoke."  
I gave him a snappy smile. "That you know of." I walked over to the redneck's truck, Shane's eyes glued on me. I leaned over at the window and smiled at the man. "You have a smoke I can have?"  
Merle nodded, a sly smile on his face. He cracked out a smoke and handed it over, lighting the liter for me. I leaned over and lit the smoke, inhaling, walking back to Shane, and blew it in his face.  
"I'm a grown woman Shane, I don't need you to baby me."  
He looked at the smoke, frowning. "Put that out Kate."  
I shook my head. "No. You don't own me."  
"You are being stupid."  
I walked away from him, back to the truck.  
"That your man?" Merle asked.  
"Shane? No way. He is way to controlling."  
"Your kid?"  
I shook my head. "Nope, nephew." I took another drag of the smoke and smiled. "I'm Kate."  
"Merle." he shook my hand and grinned. He jabbed his thumb at his brother. "And this is my baby brother Daryl."  
"Nice to meet you."  
"Ya too." Daryl said.  
"So Kate," Merle started. "What do you think about the cannibals?"  
I shrugged. "I only seen them on TV. What do you know about them?"  
"They are gone for sure. They are dead before they come back." Daryl mumbled.  
All a sudden planes raced across the sky, firing missiles into Atlanta. Screams filled the air and I dropped my smoke out of pure shock.  
"Well there goes the so-called 'safe zone'." Merle muttered.  
Shane was running toward me, gripping my wrist. "Come on. There is a guy who knows where to go. There is a good place to set up a camp. Let's go."  
We ran as fast as we could to the car, getting in and locking the doors.  
"Aunt Katie?" Carl asked, freaked out. "There is no safe zone, is there?"  
I shook my head. "I'm sorry kid. We are going to have to make our own safe zone..."  
He latched onto me, holding on tight. "I'm scared. "  
"What did I tell you earlier? Huh?"  
"I have to be strong."  
I kissed the top of his head and held him closer to me. "That's right. You have to be."

* * *

A few days later, the campsite and everything was all set up, tents pitched, food gathered, everything seemed to fall into a retinue. I found out that Shane and Lori were having sex, days after we found out Rick was dead. That just made me hate Lori with an increased passion. I mostly hated that Carl slept in that very tent along with them, probably not knowing what they were doing. I walked over down to the stream, kicking some rocks on the way. All I could think was the worst. I was lost. Who was I anymore? I didn't know. I looked in the water and I didn't see my own reflection. I would talk and I wouldn't recognize the sound of my own voice. I felt as if somebody else is in my body. I didn't feel like I was myself anymore.  
I crouched down and looked at my reflection in the water. My pale face was covered in blood, my blue eyes looked cold and hurt, my brown hair no longer had shine in it and had many split ends. I know who I used to be. I used to be Katherine Selina Grimes, 27, sister and aunt, lead anchor of the Atlanta news. That was before the world turned to shit. I'm no longer a sister and I felt like a very shitty aunt, that's for sure.  
"Hey, you alright?" I heard from behind me.  
I turned around to see an Asian boy who I couldn't remember then name off. I knew it started with a G... I smiled at the boy who couldn't be much younger than I was. "I'm fine."  
He walked up to the stream and crouched down. "You are obviously not fine. I can tell you that just by looking at you."  
I looked back down at my reflection. He was right. I looked like a walker myself. "I guess I haven't been catching a ton of sleep..."  
"Maybe you should go get some." He helped me up and smiled at me. "I'm Glenn."  
I tried to give the same kind smile, but I think it looked like I was about to burst into tears. "Kate."  
"So...what do you think about Shane leading everybody?" He said, tossing a stone into the water.  
I shrugged. "I don't know. I do know that even in normal life he tried to control everything."  
"You knew him in real life?"  
I smiled, but it was as fake as a Barbies. "Real life...isn't this now real life?"  
"That's not what I meant..."  
"I know. And yes, he was...my brothers best friend and...my ex."  
Glenn's eyes went wide. "You and...Shane?"  
I nodded. "Yup."  
"But isn't he with Lori? I saw them..."  
"I know. And no. Lori is my sister-in-law."  
"Holy shit!" He looked at me like he didn't believe me. "Where is your brother?"  
I looked back out into the stream. "Dead. I didn't even know he was in a coma... Lori didn't have the decency of a human being to tell me that my own damn brother was shot or in a coma." I pressed my lips together tightly, linking my fingers and putting my hands behind my head.  
"When was the last time you saw him?" he asked, leaning against the the rocks.  
"It was a good moment, nothing bad. Shit went down with Lori and I so Rick would sneak Carl out to come see me. So we met up at the park, just feeding ducks bread chunks, tossing them into the lake. Carl saw his friend and ran off to go talk to him, and Rick and I just talked, catching up. We talked about Carl, how our jobs were. It was nice."  
"Sounds like it."  
I turned to him, relaxing a bit. "Did you have any siblings?"  
He shook his head. "Not a single one." He stood up straight and smiled at me once more. "Come on. Let's get you to your tent before someone shoots you, mistaking you for a walker."  
We walked over to my tent un-zipping it and I climbed in.  
"I'm sorry." He said. "Your brother seemed cool."  
I nodded, crawling into my sleeping bag. "He was. You would have really liked him."  
"Night Kate."  
"Night Glenn."  
He then zipped up the tent, leaving me to sleep for the first time in two days.

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_**Author's Note: Review! Let me know to continue or not! I just really would appreciate your opinion!  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: ****_I am dying right now! I need my Walking Dead! I honestly hate the month of February because of the mushy gooshy cheese ball holiday but I am waiting for this month to pass so it's back on!_**

**_Smittendebs: _****_I hope I am updating fast enough!_**

**_Guest: Glad you liked it! _**

**_Madalyn1000: Thank you so much! I am really considering it am really happy you liked the last one :)_**

**_DietyOfDeadlyRose: I really hate how they do that a lot so I wanted to change that. Thank you very much!_**

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Chapter 3

I sat down on the chair and frowned, realizing how I didn't know to defend myself. We were living in a world of walkers and I didn't know how to shoot a gun. Considering my options, I stood up and walked over to Daryl, who was cleaning off some arrows from a few squirrels he shot.  
"What do ya want?" He asked, looking up at me.  
"I want your help." I said with my hands on my hips.  
He narrowed his eyebrows, putting the last arrow into his quiver. "With what?"  
"Well I can't defend myself. If walker comes at me, I won't be able to defend myself because I don't know how to use weapons except for a knife."  
He threw the crossbow over his shoulder. "And why do you go to me for this?"  
"Well, it was either you, Shane or Merle. Shane thinks he can protect me alone and I don't feel like getting hit on today so you are a pretty good choice. Plus you are an amazing hunter to be honest."  
Daryl looked at me like I was stupid, but stood up anyway. "Well, I can't give ya shootin' lessons right here so I guess you're gonna learn the crossbow today. If you don't suck terribly, I'll take ya to a place where ya can shoot tomorrow."  
I nodded at the agreement. "Deal. Let's get going."  
He wasn't moving at all, just staring at someone in the group that was sitting by the fire, eating some of Daryl's squirrel.  
"What are you waiting for?" I asked.  
"Aren't ya gonna check in with your boyfriend first?"  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "My boyfriend?"  
"That Shane guy. He acts like he is your boyfriend."  
I pressed my lips together. "Try ex boyfriend."  
"Really?"  
I nodded. "Yup. But it ended a year ago."  
"What happened? He cheat on ya? Ya cheat on him?"  
"No. Life just happened and I realized he was into my sister-in-law. I'm too observant for my own good."  
He narrow his eyebrows. "Your sister-in-law." It wasn't a question, more like a conformation.  
I nodded. "Lori."  
He whistled. "That's some complicated shit."  
"Tell me about it." I looked over at Shane who was staring me down. "Can we go before he walks over here? I don't want to deal with Shane's shit right now."  
He shrugged. "Sure."  
We started to walk into the woods, Shane's eyes following us.  
"He sure acts possessive for an ex." Daryl said, noticing Shane stalking us.  
I shrugged. "I guess it is because he was also benefits a few months ago"  
"Benefits?"  
"You know, friends with benefits without the friends part."  
He whistled again, chewing on the outer corner of his thumb. "So he is possessive cause he thinks you are his?"  
I nodded. "I thought it would die down since he is banging Lori, just a week after my brother died."  
"Stop." He said, looking over at a tree. "Take three steps and jump."  
I did as he said, not knowing what the hell it was about.  
He did the same, following a step in front of me at all times. "Yeah, heard bout your brother. Sorry."  
I shrugged. "It wasn't your fault."  
We reached a dear blind, it obviously abandoned. The wood looked moldy and unsafe, vines growing up the posts, the ladder not quite straight, but newer than the rest of the blind.  
"Does anyone know about this?" I asked, looking up at the block of wood up in the tree.  
He nodded. "Merle does. Don't know a reason for anyone else to know."  
"Sure you can trust me with a secret like this?" I joked, running my fingers through my hair, trying to cover up me being nervous about climbing the ladder or stepping one foot onto the blind.  
"I don't know. Trustin' people ain't my specialty."  
I started to climb up the latter, terrified it would break under me, sending me tumbling to the ground. "Well, your in luck because it isn't mine either. I'm just more social than you."  
"What makes ya say that?"  
I reached the top of the blind, still nervous to stand. Daryl was up shortly after and he took off his crossbow, placing it in the corner. I examined the blind, it not looking so abandoned from the top, and noticed a gun with a silencer on it and extra arrows for the crossbow. "I have only seen you talk to Merle and I."  
"Why ya watching me?"  
I shrugged, tying my hair back into a high ponytail. "Like I said, I'm too observant for my own good." I picked up the gun and gave it to him. "If you have a silencer, than how come I can't shoot with the gun?"  
He took the gun, examining it. "Cause I didn't know. Merle must have put it up here. Well I guess you're in luck, ya get to use the gun today."  
"Good, because I think I would suck at the crossbow."  
"Well ya are still using the crossbow."  
I looked at him, confused. "What?"  
"Ya still are using the crossbow. You asked to learn how to use a weapon, now ya can learn how to use two."  
I just stared at him. "Alright?"  
"Which do ya wanna start with?  
"Your choice. I just want to learn."  
He gave me the gun back. "See that target near that tree?" he said, pointing at a tree with what looked like a wooden board with dried liquid painted on in circles.  
"The one that looks like it was made out of wood, blood and berries?"  
"Yup... that's the one."  
"You or Merle?"  
"I did the wood and berries, Merle did the walker blood to attract some of them for shooting practice."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "But wouldn't that attract more towards the camp?"  
He shook his head. "They will get confused and he made some traps a foot away where I made ya jump. Plus it's only enough to attract one or two max."  
"And..."  
"Stop stalling. Now give it the best that you can."  
I reloaded the gun and aimed, just like I saw in the movies.  
"Now, look through the scope and aim the center point at the center of your target."  
I did what he said, aiming right where the red berries made the center.  
"Now pull the trigger."  
I did, and on my first try my bullet hid the middle.  
Daryl whistled, leaning against the tree. "Ya are a natural. Try again."  
Aiming back up, I fired again but it barely missed the middle. "Wow. This is actually kind of fun."  
"Well, try with a different one." He took away the assault riffle, removing the silencer, and handed me a pistol. "Ya will probably use this one more if there is an attack." He handed me the silencer which I put on the pistol.  
I aimed and shot, but didn't hit.  
"Again."  
I shot and couldn't hit the target once more.  
"Again."  
I grazed the edge, but it didn't stay.  
"How come ya can shoot the riffle but not a pistol?" He asked observing me carefully.  
I shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? This is my first time." I fired again, this time hitting the edge of the target for once. "I mean, how good were you on your first time?"  
"How the hell am I supposed to know? I was five."  
I pressed my lips together, trying to contain my smile, but the smile escaped through my eyes. "Touche..."  
He looked at me like I was some strange creature he had never seen in his life. "Who are you?" he asked.  
"I told you a three times, I'm Katherine or Kate Grimes."  
"Yeah, I know your name. But who are ya and where did ya come from?"  
I put my gun down, putting my hands on my hips. "Do you really think I'm an alien of some sort?"  
"Ya aren't like anyone I've ever met."  
"You obviously haven't met a lot of people because I'm a plain Jane."  
He snorted, wiping his mouth. "Ya obviously ain't no plain Jane, that's for sure."  
"Then what am I?"  
He paused, still just staring at me. "I'm still trying to figure that out."

* * *

We got back to the camp just before sunset to see the fire burning brighter than usual and Dale telling one of his stories he was so famous for. I turned to Daryl, his game more than mine. "I'm going to go get something from my knife from the tent and I'll be right there to help you skin them."  
"Kate..."  
"Yeah?"  
"I've got it."  
I shook my head, handing him my only squirrel while he had a duck and two squirrel. "No. It's my way of thanking you for the lessons on hunting and defending." I walked away before he could respond, walking over to my tent. I wiped my forehead of the sweat that was caused by the heat. Ducking down I unzipped my tent crawling in to find my knife laying right on my bed. Grabbing it I crawled out of my tent, barley zipping it up before jumping back into it, startled. There Shane stood in the shadows, leaning against the tree.  
"What the hell were you doing with that red neck hick?" He snarled, his fist clenched.  
I smiled at him, leaning closer to him. "Making sweet love to him Shane." I responded sarcastically. I grinned at the expression on his face, attempting to walk away but he gripped my wrist, pulling me back.  
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Kate?"  
"Oh relax you pansy ass. I was just getting some self-defense lessons and learning how to hunt. I even shot a squirrel which is harder than it looks."  
He didn't seem any relaxed by this, his grip tightening on my wrist. "Why do you need defense lessons from him?" He snapped. "I could have given you those."  
I rolled my eyes. "Shane, I'm not Lori. I don't rely on you to wipe my ass."  
He then pinned me against the tree, still gripping my wrist tightly. "So you ask the redneck to?"  
"No. I asked for help. Now get the hell off of me, I'm not a doll."  
"Katie, why can't we be us again?" He said, his lips next to my temple.  
I rolled my eyes, trying to push him off. "Get off of me."  
"We were so good, so good together." I caught a whiff of his breath, it reeking of alcohol.  
Struggling against him, I rolled my eyes again. "You are drunk."  
"But we were Katie!"  
"Shane, I dumped you because you were in love with my brother's wife and were too controlling. You still are in love with Lori and you still are too controlling so that will never happen."  
"Katie... I can change. I promise."  
"Shane, you have three seconds."  
"Katherine..." He whispered against my neck.  
I sighed, not wanting to go to this extent. I brought up my knee right between his legs, jogging away from him into the camp as he tried to catch his breath. I saw Daryl at the picnic table, already skinning his squirrel. I sat down and picked the other one and pulled out my knife, smiling at him. "You ready to teach me how to do this now?" I asked, pretending like that didn't happen.  
Daryl stared at me like he did earlier. "Are ya alright?" He asked.  
I nodded. "Just was clumsy and fell. No big deal."  
The way Daryl kept staring at me, then at Shane as he walked a little funny back to the fire, made me believe maybe he was too observant for his own good too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: ****_I am dying right now! I need my Walking Dead! I honestly hate the month of February because of the mushy gooshy cheese ball holiday but I am waiting for this month to pass so it's back on!_**

**_Smittendebs: _****_I hope I am updating fast enough!_**

**_Guest: Glad you liked it! _**

**_Madalyn1000: Thank you so much! I am really considering it am really happy you liked the last one :)_**

**_DietyOfDeadlyRose: I really hate how they do that a lot so I wanted to change that. Thank you very much!_**

* * *

Chapter 4

The group was sexist. All the men did the hunting and gathering and the women laundry, cooking and cleaning. When the world ended, apparently so did equality. I would help out on the cooking, but after that I stop and started to go back out hunting with Daryl since Shane refused to let me go on any runs.  
Shane ignored what he tried to do while smashed, even though I could see it in his eyes when he looked at me. I ignored him too, focusing on what I was doing and not giving him even a single glance.  
I hung out a lot with Amy and Glenn, but mostly with Daryl. He taught me how to kill walkers, hunt for food, and how to keep my mind off what was going on with the world around us. I learned that he was pretty much raised by Merle, his mom dying in a house fire and his dad being a drunk. I learned he didn't have much of anything before the world ended, having only his older brother and job, not letting anyone in. He really didn't do the same to me, but I was the closest friend he had at this camp.  
Merle was still pretty persistent about us, claiming that it was the end of the world and we all were going to die eventually. But when he got passed the flirting and butt grabbing, I learned that as a person, I couldn't stand Merle Dixon. He was a pervert, egotistical, racist, narcasitic ass whole that nobody liked. I didn't understand Daryl's attachment to his brother when he was a much better person. Merle often made comments about T-dog and Glenn and it pissed me off. One time I even slapped him to get him to stop. But Merle was supposedly fun to hang out with him when he didn't say any of those comments. I guessed it was because the reaction I got from Shane. Glenn said I was acting like a teenage girl who was dating a guy just to get her parents riled up. It was odd because I normally was never compared to a teenage girl. Before the apocalypse I apparently acted like a fifty year old that now with the kids gone, only lived for his job.  
But one person was worse than Merle by ten fold. That person was Ed Peletier. I couldn't stand the drunk, abusive ass whole who would make even worse comments than Merle. Even Merle hated him. But one day I was helping with laundry, I could see bruises on both Carol and Sophia, confirming my suspicions. He was a very sick man who looked like he lived off of beer and cigarettes since before the apocalypse. I learned from Carl who learned from Sophia that as soon as he found out about the apocalypse, the first thing he did was run to a liquor store and stack up on booze and cigarettes. No, he didn't stack up on extra food or stuff for his family, he got booze and cigarettes.  
I liked Glenn a lot. He was usually always smiling or found someway to make the group smile. Even in this hell whole, Glenn could make you die laughing in just a matter of seconds. He was always the one to go on runs, seeing that he was once a pizza boy in Michigan before it started. Him and I would play games to keep our minds off of the world around us. They varied from actual games like chess to ones we made up.  
Amy and Andrea were complete opposites even though they were sisters. Amy was a huge worrier about her sister, always thinking she was going to disappear for some reason. She was young and funny, still having the heart of a child. Andrea was different. She was a civil right attorney that always was out on runs along with Glenn because, like me, she saw how sexist the group was getting and wanted to help out.  
I couldn't. The most I could do for the group was the 'women's work' or hunting with Daryl which I liked a hell of a lot more. Shane was calling the shots so that meant he was also calling all decisions revolving me. He organized the runs and usually had the same people on them. I almost went on one, but Shane refused, saying I wasn't experienced enough with guns. When Daryl told him that he taught me and I was fine to go, Shane said that is absolutely no training at all. I caught on to leave on hunting trips when he was focused on Lori. I got Amy or Carol to watch Carl, then Daryl and I would leave without Shane noticing.  
After a few nights ago, I refused to be alone...even to go back to my own tent. I was terrified of Shane and what would happen again if he hacked into Ed's alcohol once more. Nobody knew, although Daryl noticed my black and blue wrists, but I refused to tell him. How could I? I was afraid of everyone's shadows for the chance that it might have been Shane's. Daryl had an idea, but he was probably thinking worse than it actually was. He noticed when I jumped, when I looked around to see where everyone was, but was always staring at my wrists which were fading but only slightly. I started to tape them with medical tape, trying to avoid more questions, until the heat wouldn't let it stick to my skin. So I made up a story, that I gripped my wrists tightly when I slept. Everyone believed me except for, of course, Daryl but also Carl.  
Carl had moved to my tent when I threatened Lori to tell him about her and Shane. Sleeping with Carl around also made me feel more comfortable, knowing Shane wouldn't do anything while he was there.  
I was terrified of a man I used to love.

* * *

Daryl and I were taking a break from hunting, resting in the blind with some picnic stuff that Carol had made for us.  
"It almost feels like we are back to normal, you know?" I asked, taking a sip of my water. "Hunting, relaxing in a dear blind with sandwiches, lemonade and cookies."  
He took another bite of his sandwich, washing it down with water. "I see what ya are talkin' bout. It's nice." He set his sandwich down on the paper bag and looked at me. "I knew ya before the apocalypse... how?"  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "I don't know. I didn't know you."  
"No, we haven't met, but I recognized your face. How did I know ya?"  
"My job probably."  
"Your job?"  
I nodded, taking a bite of my cookie. "My job. I was the lead anchor for the Atlanta news."  
He smiled with his lips brought tightly together. "Well this isn't weird."  
"What?"  
"It's nothing..."  
"Daryl. Seriously, tell me."  
He was slightly blushing as he took another gulp of his water before screwing the cap on. "Well, Merle and I though ya were real hot."  
I chuckled softly. "Aparently Merle still does."  
"Best not be tellin him that if ya want him to stay away."  
I set my cookie down and stood up. "So what, I'm not hot anymore? I'm telling you, the makeup they have there works wonders..."  
"Ya still are, I just have respect for ya."  
I picked up my gun and shot a nearby walker, walking by the target. I climbed down the latter, trying to make sure he didn't see my own blush. "Why Daryl Dixon, you just practically admitted you have a friend."  
"I did?" He asked, climbing down the latter shortly after.  
I hit the ground and jogged over to the walker. "Yup, you did." I grinned at him. "Don't worry, I won't tell."  
He rolled his eyes, shooting the walker in the head as it rose up to grab my foot. "Take more cautions." He warned.  
I nodded. "Sorry buddy."  
"It's okay pal."  
I turned and looked at him, questioning what he just said.  
"What? I can make these joke either?"  
Baffled, I turned back to the walker. I reached in his pocket, pulling out a wallet, lighter, flask, pack of smokes, and a letter with a picture of a woman inside it. I flipped open the wallet and looked at the drivers license. "I don't miss these at all." I muttered.  
"Me neither." He picked up the smokes, lighter and flask. "This guy had problems..."  
I nodded. "Obviously. He has pictures with his kids mostly and a family picture, but that's the last one of his wife." I took out the letter and picture. "Wow, she's beautiful." I complemented, looking at the girl with the dark hair and green eyes.  
"What's in the letter?" He asked, taking a drink of the flask. "Good whiskey for being on a dead guy for this long."  
I flashed him a look but looked at the letter. "My dearest Jacob, this letter is goodbye...for real this time. My husband has found out about the affair and has promised me a better life than what we have. I was about to walk out on him but he promised he would quit his drinking and drug issues for me if I didn't leave him. I want to give my marriage one last shot, if not for Ray then for my kids. Please forgive me. I love you, dear Jacob. Please forget about me completely as I attempt to forget how good your lips felt against mine. I'm sorry, Beatrice." I read. Tucking the paper and photo away, I sighed. I grabbed Daryl's flask and drank some. "Wow, this is good whiskey." I grabbed the smoke out of his mouth and put it into my own.  
"What the hell, Kate?"  
I rolled my eyes. "Oh calm down. We can share and make the pack last longer." I took a drag and gave it back, taking another gulp of the flask before also giving that back. I walked back over to the blind, Daryl following. We finished our lunch along with the flask. We were both tipsy and the sun was setting.  
"It's beautiful." I whispered, leaning over the fence, peering at the sun. "You would think the world was rid of beauty because walkers came. But this...all this color...it's magnificent." I turned back and sat down. "What are you thinking about?"  
"You."  
I took another swig of the flask. "Me?"  
He nodded. "Yup. You."  
"What about me."  
"Your wrists. What happened Kate?"  
I looked back at the sunset. "So pretty..."  
"Kate!"  
"You can call me Katie."  
"Katherine..."  
I sighed. "I think you have already guessed."  
He pressed his lips away, face getting red. "Did Shane..." He asked with fury.  
I shook my head. "No. He just came on to me but I knead him in the balls and went to skin the squirrel with you."  
"That's what took you so long?"  
I nodded.  
"I'll kill him..." He said, wobbling up.  
I grabbed his shoulders and pushed down, making sure he would sit back down. "Don't. He was drunk."  
"That gives him no right to treat a lady like that."  
"Daryl, calm down. I'm fine."  
He shut his eyes tightly. "Ya know, my dad didn't treat my mom right. I wanted to do something... but I couldn't. All Merle and I could do was watch." He grabbed the flask again, taking a sip. "Merle ain't that bad of a guy. Behind all the racism and stuff, but he never has treated a woman like my dad did."  
I helped him up, tucking the flask in his pocket along with smokes and the lighter. "Think you can make it down the ladder alright?"  
He nodded, climbing down. I put the guns in the chest and grabbed our game bag, climbing down. He was stumbling around, tripping over sticks. I put his arm around my back, guiding him over the traps Merle set. "I don't know why Shane was in love with Lori." He said drunkenly. "Ya are so much prettier and smarty."  
"Smarty?"  
He laughed. "Yup. Smarty. You're a better mom than her too. That kid loves you more than the woman that birthed him."  
We reached the camp and we saw the fire blazing with everyone around it, their usual campfire chit chat. Carl saw me and got up, along with Shane. They both walked over here, Carl happy, Shane furious.  
"Aunt Katie, we found s'mores makings." Carl said with marshmallow in his mouth.  
"Carl, go chew your marshmallow by the fire. I need to talk to Katie." Shane said, face red with anger.  
"But..."  
"Go see your mother!" He snapped.  
Carl flashed Shane a look, but obeyed, walking back with his mother.  
"You are despicable." I muttered. "That's not your kid."  
He was about to respond but noticed something. "Are you drunk?"  
"Why is it your business?" I snapped.  
"Because you are mine to take care of Katie."  
Daryl let go of my arm, stepping up to Shane. "Back off of her." He growled.  
Shane laughed. "And what is a red neck like you going to do about it, huh?"  
"Kick your ass, that's what I'll do."  
I grabbed Daryl, pulling him back. "No fights. Please."  
Shane's eyes went wide. "What did you do to drunk her?!"  
"I did nothin' for her! I respect her to much, unlike somebody I know!"  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"  
"You know exactly what I mean." He turned to me, looking even more furious then Shane. "How are ya wrists doin today?!"  
My eyes went wide. "Daryl!" I hissed.  
"No Katherine, that's bull shit that I can't do anything!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Carl, can you hand me that?" I asked my nephew, motioning to the soapy bucket. Shane was absolutely livid about my getting drunk with Daryl and staying out late that one night, signing me up almost all the chores that most of the women did. I minded it a lot, not the helping out part but the part that, once again, Shane had full control over me. I was also stuck with Lori... it was plain torture. It was a month later and I still didn't get any time to hunt when Shane wasn't on a run. The only good part was I got to spend a lot of time with Carl, hanging out with him, Sophia, Amy and Carol.  
Carl nodded, handing over the bucket.  
I plopped the silverware inside and grabbed the sponge, scrubbing over left over squirrel we had last night. The sun was bright and causing sweat, but we all went swimming a lot, sopping wet and a bit cold. After awhile everybody seemed to forget we were in the apocalypse, thinking as if we were camping. But the people who went on runs and Daryl and I, knew that was not the world we lived in anymore.  
"Aunt Katie, are you alright?" Carl asked, handing me a plate. "You seem... out of it."  
I bit my lip, just scrubbing the plate clean. "Sorry, I was just thinking..."  
"About?"  
I gave Sophia the plate, who began to dry, grabbing another from my nephew. "Just the world and what it has come to, the camp, our friends... everything."  
He nodded, handing me a bowl. "It still seems like the one time we went camping a year ago... until I realize dad isn't out getting wood and you aren't sun tanning with your headphones, but are hunting for our survival."  
I handed Sophia another dish and grabbed another from him. "I know kiddo. It feels like that sometimes too."  
"I just want him to magically appear. It would be amazing."  
I sighed and passed the dish. "It really would. But he's not coming back, you know that right?"  
He nodded slightly, looking down. "Yeah, I know."  
Shane walked up, his curly hair sopping wet from obviously swimming. "Hey kid your mom wants to see you." He said to Carl, bringing a towel to his hair.  
"But I'm with Aunt Katie. I'm fine." He said, handing me another dish.  
Shane rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. But Kate is gonna talk to me for a bit and it's grown up talk."  
The kid sighed and gave me the last dish. "Fine." With that he walked off, just as upset as I was about it.  
Sophia dried the last dish and set it back in the bin. "Kate, do you need anything else?"  
I shook my head, wishing the girl would stay. "No, but thank you."  
"Welcome." She said and walked over to her mother who was by the RV.  
Looking at Shane, I put my hands on my hips. I had plenty of people who would see if he tried anything...including Lori. "What do you need Shane?" I asked, wiping sweat off of my forehead. The heat was just unbearable.  
"You already know what I need." He said very quietly so only I could hear him.  
I rolled my eyes. "If you want sex, I'm sure Lori's available... again..."  
"No Kate. I need you."  
Shaking my head I took the soapy water bucket, walking a little far out into the woods but still in clear vision of Dale and Amy. "Correction, you want me."  
"No. I need you. I seriously still dream about you every night." He ran his fingers through his hair.  
"Great. So I'm back being in your wet dreams." I muttered.  
"Katie, this is more than sex." He sighed out of frustration and started to pull at his hair. He dropped his hands and walked closer up to me. "I used to listen in on Rick's and your phone conversations just to hear your voice."  
I dumped the bucket, the dirt becoming mud, suds flying everywhere, some on Shane. "That's creepy and intrusive."  
"God dammit Kate! Why can't we just be together again?!"  
Walking back into the campsite, I walked over to the RV, setting the bucket down next to it before walking over to the tub of dishes. "I moved on." I said just loudly enough for him to hear.  
"With the redneck?!" He snapped.  
I picked up the top of the tub, sealing it tightly before picking up the bin. "No. With myself. I don't need a man to make up for my mistakes." I walked back up to the RV and opened it, walking in and setting the dishes on the small table.  
"So I'm a mistake?"  
I nodded. "A full year mistake too. I regret every second." I walked out of the RV.  
"You're only saying this 'cause the redneck corrupted you."  
"Daryl is my friend and he has not messed up my brain!" I put my hands on my hips to try to get rid of the possibility of punching him. "You just have to point fingers at people, don't you? Well Shane, if you have to point fingers for our relationship fail, point the finger at me. Now if you would stop following me, I would like to go take a dip."  
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I was supposed to tell you that you are off for today and tomorrow. It's too hot to work. Go have fun with Amy."  
I looked at my friend as she was tanning up on top of the RV. I wanted to join her but I was so tiered I could barely stand up straight.  
"Come join me." She yelled, not moving anything but her mouth.  
I put my hand on my forehead, shielding my eyes from the sun. "I will tomorrow, alright?"  
"Katie, you better not be lying..." She warned, giving me a dirty look before lying back down.  
"I'm not. I promise. I'm just so tiered..."  
She sighed. "Then go to bed! I'll wake you up in time for dinner."  
I walked over to my tent, taking off my lace up boots.  
A whistle came in the direction of Daryl and Merle's tent. "Wow honey, you look damn fine in those shorts. Of course it would look better off..." I heard Merle say.  
I rolled my eyes and flipped him off, climbing into my tent and passing out on the spot.

* * *

We were all sitting around the fire, eating some berries that Andrea and Amy found while exploring the forest. The temperature had decreased immensely into the forty's for unknown reasons and now instead of blistering hot, most of the group was shaking. Glenn and I kept on playing our games, enjoying it a little too much.  
Our favorite around the campfire was impersonate everyone. Our favorite was of course, Shane and Lori.  
Shane was leaning over, whispering in her ear as she giggled like a school girl.  
"Honey, I farted on you last night and blamed it on the kid." Glenn said in a deeper voice for a Shane impersonation.  
"Hehe! I know! I liked it! Rick never used to fart on me like a decent human being, but I don't like the decent ones because I'm not one myself!" I mocked in a sickly high voice.  
"I liked taking my best friends hand-me-downs. I like everything worn in first."  
"Oh Shane, you stop it!" My voice was high and flirty, just as Lori's was around Shane.  
Glenn grinned. "I can't help it babe. I'm just naturally this strong, hot, sexy, and a terrible dictator."  
"Oh, I think that is hot. What do you think Carl thinks about all this?"  
"He probably thinks that we are just friends."  
We both started to laugh in our fake voices, until they faded to normal laughter and everyone was looking at us. Most of the group learned to ignore us when stuff like this happened, but Shane still stared at me, not approving of my friendship with Glenn either or any other male.  
Finally catching our breath, we went back to normal talking.  
Daryl then walked up and plopped himself next to me. "Hey." He said, taking a few berries from my plate.  
"Asshole..." I muttered with a small smile.  
He chuckled, putting all but three back.  
"What have you been up to?" I asked, trying to forget Shane's sights on me.  
He shrugged. "Talkin' to Merle. Ya havin' a party without me?"  
"No, just the normal campfire games."  
He took one look at me and gave me the same look of puzzlement he always did. "It's freezin'. How are ya not shivering?"  
I just smiled and looked at the fire. "I have three sweatshirts on."  
He chuckled. "Hey I was wonderin' what ya are doin' tomorrow?"  
"Why Daryl Dixon, are you asking me on a date?" I joked, batting my eyelashes.  
He rolled his eyes. "No, I was askin' if ya wanted to go on a huntin' trip with me, get a few more things. Half the group is gonna go on a run and I knew ya gonna be bored out of your wits."  
I tossed another berry in my mouth. "Yup. How long are we going to be gone?"  
He shrugged. "Few hours. Six max."  
I nodded. "Okay captain. What time are we leaving?"  
"What time is best for ya?"  
"Well I kind of promised Amy I would sun tan with her for a few hours... how about around noon?"  
He nodded, taking another berry from my plate. "Perfect.

* * *

The next day I was tanning up with Amy on the RV, soaking in the drenching waves of sun. The sun had risen once again to extreme temperatures, despite last nights cold. I was in a pair of my short shorts and bikini top, a pair of vintage sun glasses on my eyes.  
Amy sighed. "This is the life."  
I laughed. "Well I'm not complaining. Shane had me signed up for almost everything. I never get a break."  
"I see that. Over attached ex so much?"  
"Tell me about it." I was so relaxed, so careless. I felt back to normal. It was like Carl said yesterday, it was like our camping trip. At that moment all I could forget it. I could forget about Shane and the apocalypse, about Rick. I was with a friend, soaking up the rays.  
"So another hunting trip with Daryl, huh?" She said, not looking at me.  
I nodded slightly. "Yup."  
"Is anything going on there or am I imagining things?"  
I sat up, looking at my blonde friend. "What are you talking about?" I questioned, curious of what she was supposibly imagining and/or seeing.  
"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" I heard suddenly.  
"Where did that come?" Amy asked, sitting up, removing her sun glasses.  
My eyes widened. "The police radio."  
Both of us were climbing down the latter in a matter of seconds, me running over to the police radio. "Yes, I can hear you. Where are you?" I said quickly, talking into the walkie talkies.  
More static buzzed on, but we could make out a few words. "I'm heading into Atlanta...safe zone...family."  
"No! Atlanta is over-run by walkers! Don't go!" I yelled.  
"...if anyone is there speak up..."  
"Yes, I'm here! Atlanta is walker territory! Don't go! You'll die!"  
"...this is useless now..." the voice muttered.  
"Hello? Hello?!"  
The line was dead though. No more static, no more guy.  
I sighed and leaned back against the RV along with Amy. "Well this is just great..."  
"Katie, I don't think he heard a single thing from our line." She mumbled.  
"But it seemed..."  
"I know."  
I bit my lip and put my hands behind my head. "I just... that man will be dead in a matter of hours."  
Amy looked around. "Come on. Maybe a swim will get your mind off of it."  
"His voice sounded familiar..."  
She looked at me impatiently. "Katie, come on. You were imagining it."  
"What if I wasn't."  
Rolling her eyes, she started to walk away. "I'll be in the lake! Better join me unless you want to be hot when hunting!"

* * *

**Author's Note: ****Next chapter will be Daryl and Katie's hunting trip... does any of this chapter sound like anything in season one (hint, hint)? Make sure you let me know what you are thinking by reviews or privet messages! I would love to know what you are thinking!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:****I'm sorry about the spac****ing... Something went wrong on my end. I'll post responses to reviews next chapter... to tiered right now. Well, enjoy chapter 6.**

* * *

Chapter 6

A few hours of hunting, Daryl and I didn't have much game. I had one squirrel and a bird, he had three and a duck.

"So, if you could do one thing right now without the walkers hounding you for a day, what would you do?" I asked.

"Get some more food and survival stuff." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "How 'bout ya?"

I looked down, trying to contain my smile. "Coney Island."

"Coney island?"

I nodded. "Yup. I would love to take Carl to Coney. He has never been."

"Gonna bring me?"

"Have you ever been to Coney?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Alright. We will eat hot dogs and ride in the big tea cups."

"Big tea cups?"

I looked at him with disbelief. "You don't know about the tea cups?"

"Obviously not..." He stopped and crouched down, looking at the dirt. "Yeah baby. We might get ourselves a deer."

"A deer?" I asked, exited.

He threw the game bag over his shoulder and grinned. "Yup. We could feed our people for weeks."

I sighed in contentment, following him as he tracked where the deer walked.

A few hours later I was growing tiered, just wanting the damn dear to show up too and I could tell Daryl did too. I was resisting taking off both my tank top and my short shorts for the heat could kill a cow. Every step felt impossible and I was growing tiered, the humidity not helping.

"Screw you..." I said to Daryl when I realized that he had his shirt unbuttoned, his abs fully exposed. I had to admit, he was really attractive. I saw scars on his back, rows in different areas.

"What did I do know?" He asked, still following the tracks.

"You can do that." I motioned to his shirt. "I can't"

He smiled slightly. "Well, ya can..."

I punched his arm, but laughing along with him.

"At least ya are wearing that." He said, motioning to my short shorts.

I then realized he was wearing baggy cargo pants and was probably dying in the heat right now. I looked down at my shorts and was pretty happy I wore them. "Yeah... I guess I am."

He rolled his eyes and stopped abruptly, crouching down and examining the tracks another time.

"We are almost at camp..." I mumbled.

"Yeah, and it looks like the damn deer beat us to it. He should be right up here..." he whispered. He grabbed his crossbow and set an arrow up in it, stepping out of the leafy trees. "God dammit!"

I stepped through to see a walker eating the deer, its limbs torn, blood spilling everywhere.

Daryl shot it in the head with his arrow, yanking it out of the walkers head, and walked back to the camp, his exhaustion hitting him.

We walked over down to the river, cleaning ourselves off from all sweat, dirt and blood, letting the cold water relax us. I started to drink it, my throat no longer feeling dry and my exhaustion no longer so terrible. I leaned back against the rock, throwing my head back. "So. Tiered. Feeling. Dead." I mumbled.

"Can we just go to bed now?" He asked, voice deeper and more tiered than normal.

"Nope." I pushed myself up and frowned. "We have to go tell people we are back alive."

He groaned and splashed more water on his face and stood up, walking with me us the rocks and back to camp.

"Hi Glenn." I muttered, walking by him as he was wiping his head off of sweat.

"Hey Katie! Have you seen..."

"AUNT KATIE!" Carl yelled, launching himself at me.

I hugged him back. "Hey kid, I've only been gone a few hours."

He backed up. "Aunt Katie, it's dad."

"What about him?"

"He's..."

All of a sudden I saw him, my so-called dead brother. "Rick?" I asked, no longer thinking of the heat. I blinked hard, thinking it was the sun playing tricks on me. But no, there he was, police uniform, brown thick hair, shaved face with the same blue eyes as mine.

"Katie?" He said with questioning eyes.

I took a step back, accidentally running into Daryl. "You can't be alive. Shane said you were dead..."

"And he had full right to believe that."

I ran my fingers through my hair, turning to Daryl. "Am I hallucinating?"

He shook his head. "I see the same guy that looks like an older guy version of ya."

"Katie, I'm here." My brother said.

I shook my head. "Not possible. Nobody in a coma can just magically one day come out of it and survive the apocalypse!"

"I blocked the door so nothing could get in..." Shane mumbled.

I turned to him, furious. "Shut the hell up Shane. I'm not in the mood plus I'm hallucinating."

Carl, who was standing beside me, thinking I was going crazy, nudged me. "He's really alive, Aunt Katie."

I blinked again, this time harder, but my brother was still there. "You... You really are alive."

He nodded.

That was all I needed. I ran up to him, hugging him tightly, burring my face in his chest. "I missed you." I mumbled.

"I missed you too kiddo." He said into my hair. "When they said Katie, I thought they were talking about another Katie because you were in Atlanta when it happened."

I sighed. "My boss gave me a week off and I came to see you and Carl, only to find out you were in a coma."

"You didn't know?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"I thought you would hear about it through the news..." Lori muttered, leaning against the tree.

Holding out my hand, I wouldn't make eye contact with her. "Save it Lori." I thought about that and turned to her. "And wouldn't that be worse? To find out your brother was in a coma through the news or your job?" I whistled. "You are a very sick person."

She just looked down, uncomfortably.

Daryl walked over to his tent, peeking inside. He froze as he stood back up. "Where's my brother?" He asked, not entirely sure he made it back.

Rick sighed. "Atlanta."

"Atlanta? What do ya mean? Is he dead or not?!" He demanded.

My brother ran his fingers through his hair. "We don't know."

"How the hell don't ya know?!"

T-dog stepped forward, shame lingering on his face. "Well...he was trying to kill me so Rick locked him up and gave me the key as they figured out a way to get out."

"And?!" Daryl said impatiently, anger burning on his face.

"And I dropped the key when trying to get out."

"Ya didn't pick it up?" He yelled, stepping closer to T-dog.

"It fell down the vent."

Daryl charged at him but I grabbed jumped in front of T-dog. "Don't. We'll go back for him."

"Katie, move." He demanded, his face getting red.

"Daryl, listen to me. We'll go back and get him." I turned my head and looked at T-dog. "Won't we?"

T-dog nodded. "Of course."

"I'll go too." Rick offered. "I am the one who locked him up."

Daryl turned now on my brother, charging after him. "Yeah, what the hell was that for?! Who the hell do ya think ya are?!"

I acted fast, pulling him back. "Jesus Daryl!" He wouldn't move and I was using my full strength.

"He was gonna kill someone!" Rick yelled back. "I did what I had to do!"

"Daryl!" I yelled again. "Jesus, calm the hell down for a minute and listen to me!"

He whipped around to face me, his face red with fury, eyes deadly. "What Katie?" He snapped.

I slapped him hard enough to hurt only a little. "You don't talk to me like that, Daryl Dixon. Pissed or not."

The anger in his eyes died down and turned to frustration.

"We are going to get him, alright? You have T-dog, Rick and I..."

"What?" Shane's voice said, furious. "No way in hell you are going on a hunt for a dead man who hurt us more than helped, Katie! You have no experience!"

"I do too!"

"That's bull shit Kate and no way in hell am I letting you go."

"Shut up!" Glenn yelled at him. "You can't boss her around any more! She is not your girlfriend!"

"Get that right." Daryl snapped. "And maybe ya should shut the hell up bout my brother!"

Shane rolled his eyes. "What the hell are you going to do about it, Dixon?"

Daryl once again charged, but I didn't hold him back. I wanted to see Shane's pretty little face messed up. Plus, Daryl hated Shane. It wasn't healthy to keep all that hate bundled up inside.

But Rick pulled him back, actually pulling him back unlike me. "Stop!" He pushed Daryl back over to me where he stood in front of me as if he was guarding me from Shane. "Katie is twenty-seven, Shane." Rick stated. "She can make her own decisions." He walked over to Carl, but stopped. "Oh, and Shane? If anyone can boss my little sister around, it's me. Thank you for taking care of my family but I can take care of them now."

"But..."

"Thanks, Shane."

"I'm going too." Glenn chimed in. "We are running low on guns and stuff and you had that bag with you, Rick. I can get that."

Rick nodded. "Perfect."

"We 're gettin' my brother first..." Daryl mumbled.

I looked at him with sad eyes. I gained my brother and he lost his. "That goes without saying." I turned to my brother, my eyelids feeling as heavy as an elephant. "Hey Rick, I'm going to bed. Daryl and I spent all day hunting."

"You'll be up in a few hours..."

I nodded. "I know that. But I'm about to pass out right now."

He sighed and kissed my forehead. "Night Kate."

"Night Rick."

I made eye contact with Glenn, thanking him silently. I couldn't bare to look at Daryl, to see the pain in his eyes for the loss of his brother. Then I walked over to my tent, not aware of what was to happen in just a few hours.

* * *

**Author's Note: What is going to happen in a few hours? Guess you'll have to write some reviews or click the favorite or follow button to find out sooner!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: ****Just a warning in advance... Shane get's a little crazy in this chapter. It's not a happy one... then again, most aren't. Just bare with me during this one. Now that my mid-terms are over I can update much faster:) let me know what you are thinking.**

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Chapter 7

As my brother said, I was up a few hours later. I rolled over and stretched my arms out, realizing I was once again, alone. My tent felt empty with Carl gone and back in his tent with his dad. Crunching up, I sighed, the crickets chirping. I was still sweaty and gross from the hunting trip so I threw my sweatshirt and flip-flops on, sliding out my tent. The fire was gone, only a few burning embers remaining. The night sky was dark with only the littlest moonlight shining over by the lake. I could hear some snores from some tents, signalling it was probably past midnight.  
I jogged down to the water, climbing down the rocks. I reached the sand and took my flip-flops off and stepped into the lake, the water gliding over my toes. The moon was shining against the water, everything else being in the shadows. It seamed unreal, like it came out of one of those romantic movies. It was so beautiful.  
"Amazing, isn't it?" I heard from behind me.  
I froze up, recognizing the voice. I didn't dare to look, hoping I misheard it. "Yup."  
"The moon, it's barely shining. You can't see a thing."  
Turning around I saw Shane, leaning against the rocks in dark. No wonder I didn't see him.  
"What do you want Shane?" I asked, slightly shaking as if suddenly the temperature dropped.  
He chuckled. "I thought that we have been over this a million times. I want you."  
I stepped out of the water and slid my flip-flops on. "Have fun with that..." I muttered, walking away.  
His hand latched on to my wrist, yanking me back, hitting the rocks. He gripped my other wrist and pushed me back. "I will." He said with a devilish grin.  
"Shane, get the hell off of me." I hissed, my heart pounding quickly.  
He shook his head. "Nope. Katie... you know you want this. You are just being your own stubborn self."  
"Get off of me!" I yelled.  
He looked at me as a predator would look at its prey. "No." He transferred my wrists to one hand, taking his shirt off before crushing his lips against mine.  
I struggled, wrestling against him. I moved my knee up but he was expecting it, pushing it down. I started to scream but he covered my mouth with his spare hand.  
"Yell all you want Katie, nobody will hear you but walkers. You'll attract them and they will kill everyone at that camp."  
Tears started to spill out of my eyes as he removed my sweatshirt, leaving me in only my shorts and tank top. I tried screaming again but the sounds were barely heard under his hand. I closed my eyes tightly, more and more tears spilling out of my eyes as he removed my tank top.  
All of a sudden I felt Shane being ripped off of me and thrown to the ground.  
"Ya get the hell of her!" I heard somebody say. The voice sounded familiar but I couldn't think straight. My brain shut down completely, terrified.  
I sunk down, putting my head in between my knees, shaking violently. Shutting my eyes tightly, I heard the fight that went on. I finally opened my eyes after I was back in my head and actually thinking clearly.  
Daryl and Shane were beating the shit out of each other, Daryl winning. I got up and pulled Daryl off of Shane. Shane stepped back, his eye red. "Damn red neck..." He muttered.  
I pressed my lips together, swinging my arm back and punching him. I then grabbed my tank top and pulled it on, my sweatshirt over it. "Ass whole..." I muttered, climbing up the rocks as if they were steps. I was trying to put on a strong face, but I was seriously on the verge of crying. I had almost been raped and would have been if Daryl wasn't there to...to do what ever he was going to do. I slugged over to the dish washing station that Sophia must have forgotten to dump once more and grabbed a clean towel, scrubbing my lips with the soap and water. I felt violated and disgusting. It didn't happen, but I still felt weak. I still felt powerless. Hating to be vulnerable, I tried to push all the self-pity and loathing into anger for Shane. Scrubbing my lips even harder, I wanted to go back and punch him all over again, hopefully that would make me feel a lot better. But I stayed put, scrubbing my lips raw along with the parts of my skin he had touched. I took my sweatshirt off to see red marks, already forming into bruises on my skin. Inhaling, I started to scrub.  
I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped forward a few inches, accidentally colliding with the table. Whipping around fast I saw it was just Daryl, his palms facing me as if he was surrendering.  
"Hey, it's just me." He said, his eyes filled with worry. He looked at my red marks on my mouth, neck and arms. "Did he do that?"  
I shook my head, scrubbing a spot I missed. "No, I did."  
"How?"  
"I scrubbed." I simply said, not meeting his pitying gaze.  
"Ya skin is raw..." He mumbled, still worrying.  
Glancing at a spot on my arm, I realized he was right. I scrubbed it so it was dry and dark red. "I'll put some lotion on it..." I put the towel down and started to comb my hair with my fingers into a bun.  
"Ya shakin'."  
I knew I was, but I still stared at him as if he just said he killed my mother. "What do you want Daryl?" I demanded, tying the elastic around my hair.  
"I wanna see if ya okay..."  
Putting on the fakest smile I could, I started to walk toward my tent. "I'm fine." I lied through my teeth. "Nothing happened..."  
"Kate..."  
I whipped around as soon as I got to my tent, the sound of Daryl pitying me was the last thing I needed. "What do you want from me? Huh?" I asked.  
"I told ya, I wanted to see..."  
"Not what I meant. What do you want from me? Sex?"  
He looked at me with true bewilderment. "What? No-"  
"Then what do you want?"  
"I don't understand what ya mean by that..."  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm asking what you are using me for. If not sex, than what? It's not like there is money anymore."  
"I don't want anything from ya!" He snapped, still confused but now angered a bit. "Ya really think I'm the kind of guy who just wants somethin' from ya?! To bang every girl I come across?!"  
"That's what your brother did..."  
"I'm not my brother!"  
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Yeah, well you sure act like you are his minion."  
By this point all the worry and confusion was gone from his eyes, leaving them burning with fury. "Shut the hell up, Katherine! Ya don't know shit!"  
"I know quite a bit actually..."  
He glared at me like I was a threat to him. Only three times had Daryl given me that deathly glare, this being the first. It was terrifying. "Ya best shut ya mouth. Ya don't know a thing, lil' miss high and mighty."  
"I know what I see."  
He marched up to me, getting all up in my face. "Ya might have ya brother back, sweetheart, but I ain't got mine. Do ya know why that is? Ya god damn idiot brother handcuffed him to a pipe where he couldn't escape!"  
"Maybe Merle should have shut up." I rebutted, now livid that he brought my brother into this conversation.  
He took a step back, eyes colder than what they were a second ago. "I can't believe ya right now." He muttered, eyes filled with...pain? Sorrow? Still worry? There was definitely some anger but there was also something else. It was like he felt betrayed or something.  
"Can't believe me?" I demanded, arms crossed in the front of my chest. "I can't believe you!"  
He rolled his eyes, now filled with annoyance and the same thing as earlier. "Ya just acting like this 'cause I was worryin' bout ya..."  
"No, I'm being like this because it's the truth."  
Daryl just stared at me, appalled. "What the hell was I thinkin'? To think that maybe ya might be a real friend."  
I snorted. "You? Let anybody in? People try with you, you don't try yourself!"  
"I did ya!"  
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you did a great job at that."  
"Screw you Katie." He stormed off, ducking into his own tent.  
I got into mine and crawled in, still feeling weak and vulnerable. I laid in my bed for quite a bit, my brain refusing to sleep. My brain somewhere along there went back to the normal, non snippy version of me and I realized how much of an ass I had been to Daryl. I suddenly felt miserable that I said those things; that I hurt him. I crawled out of my tent and walked over to his, stepping inside.  
"What do ya want, Katie? To rip on my brother more? To rip on me?" He snapped, voice husky from sleep.  
I shook my head. "No." I walked over and crawled into the covers, finding them surprisingly warm.  
"Then what ya want?" He said, quoting my words from earlier.  
"I want to apologize."  
He snorted, turning his back to me.  
"Daryl... Please talk to me. I was an ass. I don't know why I said that, I really shouldn't have...I was just..."  
"Just what?" He mumbled after a few seconds passed of me trying to find the right words to say.  
I inhaled a breath. "Just scared. Just worried. I was vulnerable and I hated it."  
He rolled over and looked at me. Just looked. Eyes full of sorrow.  
At that moment, in the faint light of the torch outside of the window, I realized what color eyes he had. I always knew they were blue, but I never really looked that far. His eyes were an amazing smokey blue color that you just felt so drawn in by.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten there sooner..." He whispered.  
I hugged him, burying my head into his chest. "You got there in time. Thank you."  
"Anything for ya." I heard him mumble right before I fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: ****I apologize! I forgot to post responses last chapter so I will be doing them now. **

**Madalyn100: _Thank you for all the beautiful reviews! I honestly can say I am pretty sure that I will continue with the story, seeing as I have three more chapters after this one that I have already written. I don't think anything can help Andrea from being so unbearable...lol sad but true. You will find out about Amy in the next chapter._ **

**Guest:****_Thank you so much for your beautiful review whomever you are. It seriously made my day. I try to update as quickly as I can and hope I am updating at a good speed._**

**Teashil: **_**Glad you like it :) I try to update at a good speed but let me know if it isn't up to your liking  
**_

**TheMadnessWithin:  
**_**I'm glad you like it! It means a lot to me.  
**_

**Smittendebs:****_Let me know if I'm not updating at a good speed! Thank you for reviewing on almost every chapter! Glad you like my little story._****  
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**Skies192:  
**_**Will do:)**_

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Chapter 8

My brain suddenly became active and awake, but I refused to open my eyes, that would mean I would have to get up. It took me awhile to realize that something was off. In my tent my blanket bed was always freezing in the morning, now it wasn't. Now it felt warm and nice. It didn't smell like my tent. Instead it had a woodsy smell like when I was up in the deer blind. The last thing I realized was I was not on top of a mattress, I was on top of a body, its arms wrapped around me tightly. I opened one I to confirm my suspicions. I wasn't in my tent. Instead I was staring at a blue tent instead my red. I turned my head and saw I was on top of Daryl. Then before I freaked out, I remembered yesterday. It was a challenge to get up, trying not to wake up Daryl while getting out of his arms. I failed epically, for every time I tried to move, his arms tightened around me. Sighing, I made up my mind...I was going to have to wake him up.  
"Daryl." I muttered. "Daryl, you gotta let go of me."  
His arms once again tightened around me. "Nah." He mumbled in his sleep."  
"Daryl."  
"No."  
I sighed. "Daryl, we have to get up so we can't get ready for our run."  
"No."  
"We need to go find Merle." I finally said as my last attempt.  
His eyes opened but it looked almost painful.  
He let go of me and I sat up, coming my fingers through my hair for it must have looked like a mess. Throwing it up in a pony-tail I got up, peering out the tent window. The only person outside was Amy, who was sitting at the picnic bench, doing some dishes. I stepped out so I could give Daryl time to dress.  
Amy saw me come out of Daryl's tent, her eyes getting huge. She wiggled her eyebrows up and down.  
I rolled my eyes and walked over to the bench, sitting down across from her.  
"So?" She asked.  
"So what?"  
She looked like an excited child whose mother just told her she was getting the brand new Barbie for Christmas. "Did you bang?" She asked with a bit of a blush.  
I hit her arm. "Of course not."  
"Your hair agrees with me...so does the fact that you were getting out of his tent."  
Groaning, I walked over to my tent and grabbed some shampoo and some fresh clothing. Zipping my tent up, I turned around to see Daryl getting up too, grabbing something from the cooler. "Where is everyone?" He asked Amy who watched him very closely.  
"Not far. They are getting ready for your run."  
He bit the side of his thumb, taking a sandwich out of the cooler... which wasn't really cold at all.  
"Hey Amy." I said. "Want to go take a swim?"  
She nodded, hopping up and putting the last plate in the bin. "Can I use your shampoo? I left mine in the RV and I don't want to wake Andrea."  
"Sure thing."  
We started to walk down the steps of rocks and I shivered a bit. We hit the sand and I stripped down to my bathing suit. None of us really bothered with bras and underwear anymore, seeing as we were constantly swimming.  
"Hey Katie, aren't those your flip-flops?" She asked, picking them up.  
I nodded.  
"Looks like you forgot them here...Oh my gosh, did you do it in the lake first?! We drink this water Kate!"  
I rolled my eyes. "For the last time, I didn't sleep with Daryl. Not in the lake, not in the sand, not in the tent."  
"Not anywhere, Sam I am."  
I smirked a little bit by her reference.  
"But in the end, the one dude ends up liking green eggs and ham..."  
I walked onto more rocks, finding one around the middle before diving in. The water was warm, perfect for a swim. I swam over to Amy, getting some shampoo on my hands. "Why Amy, if I didn't know better, I would think you are trying to set me up with Daryl."  
She then dove into the water too, grabbing the shampoo bottle from my hand. "Well, it is a possibility..."  
"Are you kidding me? You two have eye sex everyday."  
"We do not!"  
She rolled her eyes, smothering her hair in shampoo. "I thought you were really observant."  
"I am..."  
"Not observant enough to realize what you are doing..."  
I was going to ask her more, but Glenn started coming down the rocks, wearing only his swim trunks. "How are you two ladies doing?" He asked once his feet hit the sand.  
I smiled at him, dipping my soapy hair into the lake. "Washing up. I haven't bathed yet."  
He jumped into the water and sighed in content. "So what were you two talking about?" He asked, using some of his own shampoo.  
Amy grinned. "We were talking about Daryl and Katie's eye sex."  
I rolled my eyes and put some conditioner in my hair. "We do not have eye sex..." I muttered.  
She turned to Glenn. "What do you think?"  
He massaged the goo into his hair. Sometimes I forgot what the top of his head looked like because the hats he always wore. "They definitely have something going on..." he muttered.  
"There is nothing going on..." I said, dipping my hair back in the water.  
Amy rolled her eyes. "Then why were you coming out of his tent this morning with "just had sex" hair?"  
Glenn's eyes went large. "Really?"  
I shook my head. "I am a very messy sleeper."  
"Why were you sleeping in there?"  
I looked over to the spot where I was rescued. No way was I going to tell them. Amy would tell Andrea and Andrea would blab to everyone, including Rick. I didn't even want to tell Amy for the humiliation of someone knowing. "We got in a fight last night. I was a bitch so I went into apologize. We ended up talking and I fell asleep."  
Amy looked disappointed. "So no banging?"  
I shook my head. "No. No banging."  
She climbed out of the water, wringing out her hair. "But you two are absolutely perfect together." I heard her mumble. "It's beauty and the bad ass."  
Glenn chuckled. "Yeah. Daryl is a bad-ass if I say for myself."  
"No, Daryl is the beauty. Have you seen the size of those muscles?" She whistled, wrapping the towel around her.  
I grinned. "So I'm the bad-ass?"  
She nodded. "I've never seen somebody stand up to Shane and flip him off. If you punched him, that's as bad ass as somebody could get."  
If only she knew...  
"Well, I personally think that Katie is beautiful too." Glenn said, smiling at me.  
I gave him a warm smile back. "Why thank you Glenn."  
"You both could be the beauty and the bad ass..." Amy muttered. She tossed me a towel as I climbed out. "I still can't believe that there is absolutely nothing going on with you two."  
"Well believe it." I said, drying off.  
I was all confused now. I thought that Daryl was a friend and that was final. But according to both Glenn and Amy, there was a connection between us. I was terribly confused. I put it out of my mind as I saw Rick peering over the ledge.  
"Katie. We're leaving soon." He called.  
"Okay. We'll be up in a minute." I yelled back. "Time to go find our old pal Merle." I said to Glenn, wrapping my hair in the towel.

* * *

We somehow made it into the building that the boys said they were in. We claimed the many flights of stairs, weapons raised for the chance of a walker. Rick attempted to open the door but couldn't get it. It ended up taking Rick and Daryl to get the metal door to open up. The door finally budged and flew open, reveling the empty roof. I ran my fingers through my bangs, not knowing how he got loose. I followed T-dog, expecting to see some empty hand cuffs. My eyes probably expanded to the size of bowling balls after seeing what I saw. I did see the empty hand cuffs, but under the pipe there was a solo hand. I bit my lip, trying not to puke. I looked over at Daryl, pain, confusion, and relief lingered in his eyes.  
"Oh my god." Glenn mumbled. "Please tell me it's fake." He looked paler than his usual.  
I shook my head, positive I was the same color. "Sorry Glenn, but I'm pretty sure that Merle wasn't carrying around a fake hand to play a prank."  
He gulped, his Adams-Apple bobbing down. "Yeah."  
Daryl rolled his eyes. "Give me your backpack." He said to him.  
Glenn quickly handed it over. I could tell he was a little scared of him at this moment, not knowing what emotional state he was in.  
Daryl pulled a cloth from Glenn's bag, wrapping the hand in it, then tucking it back inside the backpack. "Here ya go." He said, handing it back to the pale, small man.  
He just looked at Daryl like he was insane, taking the backpack from him hesitantly.  
"So..." I started. "What do we do next?" I asked.  
"We get the guns." Rick stated.  
"What about my brother?" Daryl demanded. "What we gonna do 'bout him?"  
"We will probably run into him along the way." T-dog stated, just as hesitant to talk to Daryl as Glenn. I honestly didn't know why everyone was so cautions around him, like he was a ticking time bomb. Sure he had a temper and could easily kill a walker or person, but he wasn't that scary... but I knew that Daryl was terrifying if he wanted to be, he would just never show that side to me.  
I could see Daryl growing angry so I stepped up. "I agree." I turned to Daryl, pleading for him not to blow up. "That way we will be more protected when we go out looking some more."  
He hesitated, but nodded. "Sure."  
"Let's get off this roof." Rick said, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. "It's blistering hot out."  
I led the way, my Honey Badger raised just in case for a walker. I walked into one of the lighter sections and sat on the counter. "What's the plan, macho man?" I asked Glenn.  
He walked over and pulled out a map out of his bag, avoiding the clothed hand. He then grabbed some random objects and placed them on the map, two in one alley, two in the other, one in the last. Then in the middle of the three, there was a pin. "That's the bag." He mumbled. He then pointed to the singular, sliver paperclip. "That's me." He put his finger on it and started to move it up to the pin. "I'll go grab the bag." He then stopped and motioned toward the two small scraps of ribbon. "This is where Daryl and Katie will be." He pointed to the other pins. "This is Rick and T-dog." He looked at all of us. "My main plan will be to run in the direction of Rick and T-dog, seeing as there isn't as many ways for walkers. But things might happen, that is why Daryl and Katie will be waiting here."  
I nodded. "Sounds solid." I hopped down, looking at the men. "Are we ready to go get ourselves a bag full of guns?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

So Glenn's plan went up in action, us going into our pairs in the alleys. Barley any walkers were around the area and the few that were shot in the head by Daryl with his crossbow. It all happened so quickly. All of a sudden Glenn was darting to the police bag that guns where spilling out of. I turned to see a Latino man, staring me up and down.  
"Well hello..." He said, giving me a wolf whistle.  
I held my gun up to his head. "Even in the apocalypse this happens..." I muttered to myself. "Alright, where's your little group?" I demanded.  
"I'll show you my group, but it's not little..."  
Then Daryl was there, his crossbow also to his head. "Shut yer mouth. Ya have no right to talk to her like that or at all."  
Normally I didn't like it when guys tried to defend my honor. It made me feel like they thought I was weak and defenseless. But I knew Daryl thought of me as an equal. And I had to admit...him defending my honor was really hot.  
"Now answer the lady. Where's yer group? Where's my damn brother?"  
The kid's eyes were now wide in alarm as soon as Daryl started talking. "HELP!" He yelled.  
"Shut yer mouth!" Daryl yelled at him. "Where the hell is my brother?!"  
"HELP! THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME!"  
I pushed my gun against his throat. "I dare you to yell one more time."  
The kid gulped, but nodded.  
But he didn't need to yell. Just as Glenn reached our alley way four men approached us. One grabbed Glenn, the other two Daryl, the other and the kid grabbed me. The two Daryl had started punching him as he fought against them, making screams approach from my mouth.  
A white van pulled up and the men closest to it had Glenn and threw them in there. The others started running, releasing both Daryl and I. I grabbed the collar of the boy who had me and yanked him back, sending him into Daryl. Daryl yanked the kid back into the fence, pulled out his crossbow and shot the bald man in the ass. With much complaining, they hopped into the van and drove off, Glenn with them. Daryl and I started to run after the van, but we failed. The kid started to run after, waving his arms after the van, yelling and screaming.  
Daryl then lunged at the kid, knocking him over.  
Rick and T-dog were running down the alley, Rick pushing Daryl back. "Calm down!" Rick demanded as the gates behind us were covered in walkers.  
"I'ma kick your nuts up in your throat." He yelled at the kid.  
T-dog looked at me for some kind of explanation.  
"They took Glenn." I said, my voice burning with fire.  
"I'ma kick ya little ass!" Daryl yelled again.  
I walked over to Daryl, resting my hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Stop it now." I demanded.  
Rick, seeing as I had this in control, backed away.  
"Don't you see?" I asked. "He could be our bargaining chip to find Glenn."  
Daryl's eyes still burned with fury, as I'm sure mine did too, but he relaxed. "Alright. Let's get this little piece of shit someplace where he can tell us all about his little friends."

* * *

We were back inside the same building, the Latino kid with a bloody lip was leaning against the wall. He looked like he was trying to be a stoner and Justin Bieber combined. A marijuana tattoo was on his neck, just above a stupid little chain he wore.  
"We need to know where those men went." Rick demanded.  
The kid looked at Daryl, who was just about to kill him. "I ain't telling you nothing."  
T-dog rolled his eyes. "Jesus man, what the hell happened?" He asked Daryl.  
"I told ya." He said, still glaring at the kid. "This little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped me."  
"You and the girl are the ones who jumped me. He was screaming about his brother while she was looking mighty fine."  
I gave him the same glare Daryl was. "Can you last five minutes without making those remarks?"  
He shook his head. "You don't find that many pretty girls left. That means you must be smart too." He squinted his eyes at me. "I recognize you. You're the chick from the Atlanta news!" He whistled. "Hottest news anchor with the hottest little body."  
"Shut up about my sister like that." Rick demanded. "Or I'll let Daryl beat the shit out of you like he is dying to."  
"They took Glenn. Could have taken Merle too." Daryl said to Rick.  
The kid looked at Daryl in disbelief. "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle..."  
Daryl lunged but Rick was faster, pulling him back.  
"Damn it Daryl!" Rick yelled. "Back off!"  
"He's just another stupid perv." I muttered.  
Daryl glanced at me before walking over to Glenn's backpack. He pulled the cloth wrapped hand out and walked over to the kid. "Ya wanna see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" He then unwrapped the hand and threw it in the teenagers lap.  
The kid jumped back and Daryl got up in his face, grabbing the collar of his shirt. "I'll start with the feet this time."  
Rick once again pulled Daryl back, throwing him behind me. Then Rick leaned down to the kid. "Your men took our friend. All we wanna do is get him back. We can work something out."

* * *

The brick building was small in size, graffiti covering the walls, wooden doors.  
"Sure your up for this?" Rick asked T-dog who was supposed to be sniping.  
T-dog nodded. "Yup." He took the bag of guns and started to walk in the direction of the opposite buildings roof.  
Daryl turned to the kid. "One wrong move and I'll shoot an arrow in your ass."  
I smiled. "He's not kidding."  
"You'll pull it out baby?" He asked me, giving me a wink.  
"Just to give it back to Daryl so he can shoot you in the head."  
Rick rolled his eyes. "Let's go."  
We all ducked under the window, all three of us pointing our guns at the kid, mine on his back.  
A man walked out, stopping when he saw the kid. "You okay little man?"  
"Almost had my feet cut off." The kid said.  
The man narrowed his eyebrows. "Cops do that?"  
"Not the cop, this red neck hick!"  
"Shut up." Daryl growled.  
Another man came out, this one bald. "Guillermo, that's the guy! He shot me in the ass with an arrow."  
"Ya deserved it." Daryl muttered.  
"Chill." The main guy said, making the badly lower his gun. "Is it true. You want his feet?"  
Rick looked at Daryl with an annoyed look. "We were hoping more for a calm discussion.  
"You are gonna cut Miguel's feet off and shoot Phillipe in the ass? And you want a calm discussion?"  
I smiled at the man, Guillermo I think his name was. "It's not too much to ask."  
Guillermo smiled back at us. "Your group fascinates me."  
"Mistakes were made, on both sides." Rick said.  
He motioned toward Daryl. "What's up with him. You don't look related."  
"He's apart of our group, more or less."  
"And the girl?"  
"My sister."  
Guillermo nodded.  
"Got my brother in there?" Daryl demanded.  
"Sorry. We are all out of white boys. We got an Asian though." He called something in Spanish and on the roof, men came out, one with a bag on his head and hands tied. One of the men removed the bag and the prisoner was of course, Glenn.  
"Listen up." I said to the Guillermo. "I'll explain this very clearly to you. Wait till the end to ask questions." I aimed my gun to Miguel's, the kid's, head. "You are going to let us inside. You are going to give us a very alive Glenn. Then we will give you Miguel. Then you will let us leave peacefully."  
"And what if we don't, huh?" Phillipe asked.  
I pressed my gun into Miguel's neck. "Well, then Daryl shoots Miguel in the ass and I shook his brains out. How does that sound?"  
"What about my guns?"  
"They aren't yours." Rick snapped.  
"You get my bag of guns, and then we'll talk." Guillermo said as they all disappeared into the building.

* * *

We came back later after talking with the group. The men shoved us through the door, not being kind. I still held my gun to Miguel as we walked in.  
"I see my bag of guns," Guillermo started. "But I don't see all of them."  
"I thought I made it clear that they weren't yours." Rick started, holding his gun higher.  
The baldy, Phillipe, started pacing. "G, why don't we just kill them right now, huh?"  
"Do you want your cousin to die?" Guillermo demanded, motioning toward Miguel. "Cause I don't."  
Rick cut the duct tape off of Miguel and pushed him toward the men, I then pointed my Honey Badger at Phillipe, not liking him so much. "You got your man, now I want ours."  
"I thought I made myself clear." Guillermo said. "The guns."  
"You said bring everything locked and loaded..." Rick said. Daryl, T-dog and I all reloaded our guns. "We are."  
All the other men in the group then aimed theirs at us.  
I swear Rick was about to kill Guillermo right there.  
"Phillipe? Phillipe?" An old, fragile voice called. And old woman came walking toward us.  
"Abuela go!" Phillipe demanded.  
"Get the old lady out of the way!" Daryl yelled.  
"Abuela. Listen to Phillipe." Guillermo said, now worried about the old woman.  
The woman walked toward us, stepping in front of Rick. "Who are these people?" She asked. "Officer, Phillipe has cleaned up his act. We need him here." she said, noticing Ricks uniform.  
Rick shifted uncomfortably. "Ma'am, we aren't here for your grandson. We are here for a missing person. His name is Glenn."  
"The Asian boy?" She asked. "He's here." She turned around. "Come, I'll show you."  
The grandmother led us through the place to a few buildings over into a hospital. Inside the hospital were old and sick people. We walked into a cafeteria where one man in a wheelchair couldn't breath. Phillipe gave him an inhaler and the man was suddenly breathing. There, sitting next to the man, was Glenn.  
"What the hell is this?" Rick demanded.  
"Asma attack." Glenn said simply.  
I turned to him, slinging my gun over my back. "We thought you were getting your ass kicked."  
He shook his head. "Nope. Just...I'm just helping."  
Rick turned to Guillermo. "We came in here, ready to kill you!"  
Guillermo smiled at him. "I'm glad you didn't."

* * *

We reached the spot where we parked, only to find the car gone.  
"I thought we parked it here." I said.  
"We did." said Rick, running his fingers through his hair.  
"Who would take it?"  
Daryl sighed. "Merle. He'll be making some vengeance back at the camp."  
"Then we better find a different car."

* * *

We arrived back at the camp to find it in chaos. Walkers were everywhere, the group running, screaming and shooting. We all got out our guns and started to shoot the heads of walkers. With the help us, the walkers were soon gone.  
Carl launched himself at Rick and I, us holding him tightly. He was sobbing uncontrollably as I smoothed his hair. "Shh, it's okay." I said.  
But I was wrong. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Andrea, clutching a very bloody body. I looked closer to find Amy, flesh missing from walker bites. I stumbled away from my family and into the arms of Daryl. I clutched onto his shirt, not letting my eyes move away from Amy. This was it. This was the end of my friend's life. Andrea's cries kept coming, never-ending as I buried my head in Daryl's chest, his arms wrapping around me tightly. All anyone could do was stare.  
"I just remembered what my dream was about, why I dug those graves." Jim suddenly said. "It was this."

* * *

**Author's Note:  
****Well, let me know what you are thinking about my little story! I love to get reviews and I update faster too when I get them :)  
**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I couldn't pretend to know what Andrea was feeling. The only time I had ever lost a family member that I was close to was when I was almost four years of age, so I really didn't remember it much. I did know what it felt when I thought I lost Rick, but I didn't and I didn't have to watch him be murdered. I did feel miserable though. Amy was one of my closest friends at this camp. I automatically missed her laugh and smile, how she would always wiggle her eyebrows when I was talking to Daryl, the same man who was my rock during this day.  
Andrea didn't move at all from her spot. Everyone around the camp was quiet except for Daryl, Shane, Glenn and Rick who kept on arguing over how they should take care of the dead and where to go next. I just sat down on the picnic bench, holding on to Carl. He was just as shaken up as I was. But I could tell that he was mostly worried about Sophia, for Ed had died too.  
I hugged Carl closer to me, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Hey kiddo, I'm going to go check on Andrea."  
He nodded and hopped off of my lap, leaving to sit down next to Lori.  
I walked up to Amy's dead body. Andrea didn't blink an eye at me. I didn't mind. I crouched down and looked at Amy's pale, bloody face.  
"She loved you." I said, looking at Andrea.  
She nodded, not saying a word.  
"Andrea, there will be a time..."  
She nodded again. "I know."  
"Do you want me to..."  
She shook her head. "No. She was my sister."  
"If you need anything, just tell me."  
She nodded.  
I got up and walked over to Rick. "I'm worried."  
"About what?" he asked.  
"Andrea. What if Amy comes back and...well...what if she gets bit by walker Amy?"  
Rick sighed. "She has her gun. Dale talked to her too. She's...better. Don't worry Katie."  
"But Rick..."  
He wrapped me in his arms, pulling me tightly toward him, resting his chin on my head. "I can't even imagine what she is feeling, to lose her sister." He pulled apart, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Katie, please don't die."  
"It's not like I can help that..."  
"Just...Be careful."  
I nodded. "I can do that."  
Glenn walked over, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Hate to interrupt this moment, but I need to talk to Katie."  
Rick nodded and walked over to Lori and Carl.  
"What do you need?" I asked Glenn.  
"Daryl. He is being...Daryl. You're the only person in the group that he actually will listen to..."  
I bit my lip. "Not all the time..."  
"Yeah, but seven-eighths of the time, he does." He looked over at Daryl who was arguing with T-dog. "Please just try."  
"Okay. What am I trying to get him to do?"  
He glanced over at Daryl again. "He want's to kill Jim."  
My eyes widened. "He wants to what?!"  
"Jim got bit. He is slowly going through the change. He's in and out of his own mind and it's easy to tell he is hurting. Your brother was taking care of it but Daryl won't calm down about it."  
I bit my lip again. "He's bit."  
"And irrational."  
"Then I don't see the problem."  
Glenn looked at me like I was insane. "What?!"  
"If Jim is in pain or anything, he should be put out of his misery before he turns or gets worse." I looked over at Daryl. "I'm sorry Glenn, but I agree with Daryl."  
"But it's a human life."  
I looked over at Jim who didn't look so great. "Exactly Glenn. It's a human life. If this was happening in the hospital he would have pain killers. Instead of pulling the plug, it's a trigger. It's what they used to do to animals all the time."  
"Jim isn't an animal."  
"I didn't say he was."  
Glenn sighed. "I get you don't agree with it, and neither did Dale, but can you at least calm Daryl down before his kills your brother?"  
I nodded. "You got it boss." I walked over to Daryl who looked as if he was going to kill someone. "Hey." I said simply.  
He just looked at me with an annoyed look. "Here to lecture?"  
I shook my head. "Nope. I agree with you."  
"Yer brother don't."  
"I kinda figured that out quite a bit ago." I took a closer look at him. He looked exhausted and hungry. "Come on. I'll get you something to eat."  
He rolled his eyes. "I got two hands."  
"And I have some too. You look starving. When is the last time you ate?"  
"Yesterday."  
I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the picnic table. "Sit."  
He reluctantly followed my directions.  
I walked over to the cooler and grabbed two sandwiches and two bottles of water, shut the lid and made my way back to Daryl. I tossed him the water, him catching it with ease.  
"Thanks." He mumbled.  
I sat down and slid him the sandwich, unwrapping my own. "Of course. What are friends for?"  
"Sandwich runs?" He asked, a slight smile playing against his lips.  
I rolled my eyes but grinned, smiling for the first time that day. "Taking care of each other." I took a sip of my water, still smiling. "That involves sandwich runs. Keep that in mind."  
He gave me a rare Daryl grin, something he didn't do often. "Got it boss."  
We finished our sandwiches in silence, not wanting to say anything as Andrea was still leaning over Amy's dead body. Most of us were just waiting for Amy's reanimation.  
Things were happening all around us. Rick and Shane were fighting, Rick wanted to go to the CDC, Shane Fort Benning. Some of the dead were being buried. But the most unbelievable thing we saw was Carol. She kept hitting dead Ed in the head with an axe, over and over again. It was not a pretty sight to see and very disturbing, even though how much I hated Ed.  
"It's official." Daryl muttered as we were watching the whole scene take place in front of us.  
"What is?" I asked, trying to focus on him and not Ed whose brains now covered the axe.  
"She's gone from quiet to crazy ones."  
"Daryl." I warned.  
"I'm tellin' ya; it's the quiet ones ya gotta look after."  
I just looked at him in disbelief that he was saying this.  
"Do ya know why?"  
"I don't wan-" I started.  
"It's because ya don't know what's on their minds. The loud one's ya know what they are thinkin'." He took a bite of his second sandwich. "For example, me. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what the hell I'm thinkin'. Now Carol... She's going crazy with that axe, I tell ya."  
I chucked my empty water bottle at him. "Jesus! Do you know when stop?"  
He shook his head. "If I did and was quite, I'd be crazy."  
"First of all, I'm the only person you're not quite around unless your pissed. Second, you are pretty damn crazy."  
"Not as crazy as you..." He muttered.  
I then picked up his water bottle and chucked at him, him laughing as if it was funny. "Little shit..."  
Daryl stopped laughing instantly and looked behind me.  
I turned around to see Amy coming back, just not as Amy. Her eyes were yellow, her skin paler than normal. My lip started to tremble as I watched. Sinking my teeth into my lip to get it to stop, a single tear slid down my cheek. I felt arms wrap around me. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to me, shaking slightly.  
Daryl was still watching the scene happen in front of us, but continued to pet my hair.  
I felt some tears fall on to his shirt but I didn't remember shedding them. I looked up at Daryl to see him with the same expression as he mostly did, eyes fixated, watching quietly.  
He looked down at me. "Just breathe." He whispered.  
Andrea whispered something to Amy before pulling the trigger, shooting a bullet through her head. Other than Andrea, I was the closest person to Amy.  
Daryl let go of me and took my hand. "Come on." He grabbed my hand and started to lead me down to the water.  
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked when we reached the sand, my voice weak.  
"So ya can cry." He leaned against the rock. "Kate, I know ya don't like to feel powerless in front of people."  
I bit my lip. "I hate it."  
He walked over to me, wrapping his arms around me tightly.  
And after that, I sobbed. I sobbed for the apocalypse, for the loss of almost everybody I knew, for what Shane almost did, for Amy, Merle and Jim, for everything. I didn't know for how long, but I remember just crying into Daryl's shirt, him holding me to his chest. He was easily the most amazing man I had ever met.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(Daryl's POV)

I watched as Katie cried and cried, mourning the loss of her friend. I felt guilty, guilty that I made her go at Atlanta with me instead of saving Amy. Katie was the only person I actually cared about in this no good, piece of shit group. She was...different. I couldn't explain how but she just was. There was something about her. Maybe it was the way she cared for everyone but herself. Maybe it was the way that she never let anyone talk down to her or treat her like anything less. Maybe it was her strength and courage. Maybe it was the fact that even when she was almost raped by a guy, she walked right up to him and punched him across the face. Maybe it was the fact that that she went into a walker infested city to help find a man that had no respect for her and often made inappropriate comments. Maybe it was the fact that she always had a sarcastic comment to make. Maybe it was her smile or her large, ocean blue eyes.  
But now I held her in my arms, her brown hair cascading around her face. She sobbed and sobbed in my chest, my shirt soaked with her tears. She then pulled away, eyes, nose and cheeks red. "Thank you." She whispered. "I just...I just can't believe she's gone."  
I just stared at her, not knowing what to say. I wanted to say something reassuring but I didn't know what. How could a redneck idiot like me do a girl like her any good?  
She walked over and leaned down to the lake, splashing water on her face, wiping it with the sleeve of her shirt. "Do I look better?"  
She looked beautiful but heartbroken though it wasn't as bad as earlier. I walked up to her and wiped a tear under her eye, kissing her forehead. "Ya look fine." I said. "Ya ready to tackle the crowd?"  
Katie nodded. "Yeah, I think." She smiled very convincingly. "I can be strong."  
"Ya are always strong."  
Her smile faltered. "I don't feel like it. I feel weak. Shane could have easily...easily...cause I was weak."  
I knew she couldn't even think that word. "Katie, ya aren't weak, that's for sure. Ya are very strong. Just not in the way ya are thinkin'."  
"I can't fight anyone."  
I looked at her like she was insane. "Ya pick fights everyday."  
She rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant..."  
"Ya can fight a walker. That should be enough."  
Looking over across the lake she sighed. "Is it though?"  
I decided not to answer that. "Come on. I think ya brother was plannin' on goin' to the CDC."

* * *

(Katie's POV)

I really didn't feel like being around anyone, especially in a confined area. So I decided to go on Daryl's bike to the CDC. Morales' family decided Birmingham and Jim was left by a tree as he suffered through the transformation of human to walker. Today had taken its toll on everybody and we just wanted something good to happen. So we made our way to the CDC, hoping for some answers that began all of this mess. I clung to Daryl's waist as the bike started to park as we reached the CDC. Military checkpoints were filled with dead walkers. I hoped off the bike, instantly covering my nose. The smell of the dead, rotting bodies was unbearable. We all jogged up to the door which wouldn't open. We all started to pound on the door asking someone to open up.  
"Rick, it's getting dark. We need to get back in the cars and on our way to Fort Benning." Shane snapped.  
Carl was clinging to my side, his hand gripping mine tightly.  
"Nobody's here..." I muttered, stroking my nephews hair.  
A walker started to come up as soon as the sun started to set. Daryl held up his crossbow and shot it. "Man, we gotta go!"  
But Rick didn't budge. "OPEN UP!" He yelled at the camera above. He still continued to pound on the door.  
"Rick!" Shane hissed.  
"OPEN UP! WE HAVE WOMEN AND CHILDREN! WE ARE STARVING AND TIERED! WE WILL DIE OUT HERE!"  
Two walkers then walked up, Daryl taking down one and I the other.  
"Jesus Rick! You are going to get us killed! Let's go!" I yelled.  
I swear, he was about to turn around, but he saw something. "Did you see that?"  
"See what?" I asked.  
"The camera moved! There is someone here!" He started to pound viciously on the door again. "OPEN UP! HELP US!"  
I bit my lip, panicking a bit. "Rick, you are imagining things."  
"I know what I saw..."  
The garage door opened, revealing a bright, white light. A man walked out holding a riffle. "Who are you people?" He asked.  
"My name is Rick Grimes, this is my family and group." Rick said calmly.  
"Why are you here?"  
He looked at me and Carl before turning to the man. "We want answers."  
"Any of you scratched or bit?"  
"One, but he's gone.  
The man pressed his lips together. "The price of admission is a blood test."  
"We can do that."  
"You have a few minutes to grab your stuff. Once this gate closes it won't open again."

* * *

The man was named Dr. Edwin Jenner and he was alone in here. But there was loads of food and a ton of booze, so that kept him company. For the first time in about a year, I had an actual family dinner. I was there with the people I loved and my new-found friends. Once we finished dinner Glenn and I made a drinking game with shots and everything. We took small shot glasses and filled them up with all different sorts of booze we found, ranging from whiskey to beer. Every time Lori said something stupid or Shane gave Lori a longing look, we drank. So we were pretty wasted. It was funny as hell seeing my nephew drink his first sip of wine, but then Lori ruined it with one of her comments.  
Jenner lead us down a hall. "All the bedrooms don't have power or anything so you guys can stay here."  
"No tents?" Glenn asked exited.  
"There are futons and chairs in the rooms but there are cots in the storage units."  
"Beds?" I whispered, smiling from ear to ear.  
"Oh, and when you shower, take it easy on the hot water?"  
Glenn and I turned to each other. "Showers!?"  
"Carl and Sophia are more mature than you two." Daryl muttered.  
I grinned at him. "That's because Carl got his brains from his Aunt Katie." I glanced at Glenn, taking a sip of my beer before giving it to Daryl. "I'll race you to the room."  
"Deal."  
Like that, we both started bolting toward the last door. Glenn sadly beat me, but I was just glad for the shower.

* * *

(Daryl's POV)  
I was laying in my bed reading a book I found in the rec-room, taking a swig of booze. It was the life. I really wouldn't mind ever leaving this place. We were all safe from everything. After turning the page the door opened, revealing Katie who was holding a glass of wine in her hand. She leaned against the post in a seductive matter.  
"Hey there stud." She said in a husky, breathy voice.  
I rolled my eyes, making myself look away. "Someone's had a lot to drink."  
She giggled. It was a very strange sound coming from her. She suddenly was like a teenage girl at a sleepover. That was before I noticed what she was wearing. It was a night-dress that was in purple silk that stopped at mid-thigh, black lace covering the top and bottom.  
I couldn't help myself. Katherine Grimes was the most beautiful, sexy and alluring woman I had ever seen. So I let my eyes observe her completely.  
"Why Daryl Dixon, were you just checking me out?" She asked, cheeks pink, eyes still teasing. She shut the door and ran to my bed, setting her wine down on the nightstand and grabbing my book. "A murder mystery? Who killed who?"  
"I don't know, but I think it was the mistress."  
"Scandalous!" She threw the book off the bed and picked up her wine. "Try this. This is the best wine I have ever had."  
I took a sip, finding it was pretty good, but not the best. "Ya obviously didn't go out much."  
She shook her head. "Not really. Terry never took me anywhere, always expected me to cook because he was a sexist pig. Shane was more of the sports bar type. And I really didn't drink good wine anywhere else."  
**(Katie's POV)**  
He frowned slightly. "What is it with ya and ya bad taste in men, huh?"  
I shrugged. "I've been asking myself that for years." I took my wine back and took another sip. "In fact, the reason I dated Shane was because I figured if he was my brother's best friend, he can't be too bad."  
"Ya were wrong."  
"No!" I said sarcastically. "Wanna play a game?" I asked randomly.  
"Do I?"  
"I don't know what is going on in your head!"  
He sighed. "What game?"  
"Truth or Dare."  
He sighed again.  
"Fine, you don't have too..."  
"If it will keep you entertained..."  
I jumped up in excitement, setting my now empty glass on the nightstand. "Yay! Alright. I'll go first. Truth or Dare?"  
"Truth."  
I rolled my eyes. "Pansy ass... Alright, who was the girl you lost your virginity to and what grade?"  
"I expected ya to play dirty."  
"I'm just warming up." I assured him.  
He sighed. "Fine. Her name was Kristy. It was in tenth grade. My turn. Truth or Dare?"  
"Dare."  
"I dare ya to go get us a bottle of wine."  
I rolled my eyes. "God you suck at this game." I ran out the door and down to the kitchen, snagging a bottle of wine and coming back. "Easy." I said, tossing it to him. He pulled the cork off like nothing and took a sip. "Truth or Dare?" I asked.  
"Dare."  
I grinned devilishly. "I dare you to chug that until you can't anymore."  
He shrugged and started to chug for what seemed to be thirty seconds. I took the bottle to find it halfway gone.  
"Impressive."  
"Truth or Dare?" He asked, a cocky look on his face.  
"Truth."  
"If you could kill anyone in the group, who would it be?"  
I looked at him like the answer was obvious. "Shane. I would have said Lori a few weeks ago but now it's easily Shane."  
He grabbed the bottle and took another sip.  
"Truth or Dare?"  
"Truth since I don't want to chug anythin' else right now."  
I bit my lip shyly. I knew what I was dying to know, something he hinted at awhile ago once he realized who I was. "Do you find me attractive?"  
"Katie..."  
"Do you?"  
A pause filled the air as I stared into his smokey blue eyes.  
He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I do." He said quietly.  
"Can I go again?" I asked.  
"Rule breaker..."  
"Please?"  
He sighed. "Fine."  
"Truth or Dare?"  
"Dare."  
I grabbed the bottle of wine and set it on the floor. "I dare you to kiss me."  
"I don't want to complicate things..." He muttered.  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean I like where we are. I don't want to complicate things."  
"It won't..."  
"It will."  
"It won't."  
"It will."  
I sighed. "Jesus Daryl, I'm asking you to kiss me! Not to marry me! God some days you are just so stubborn an-." I didn't get to finish my sentence for my face had been grabbed and all of a sudden I was kissing Daryl Dixon. It was the best thing that had happened to me that day and other than Rick being alive, the best part of the apocalypse. He was the most incredible kisser, sending shivers down my spine. I then wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back. Before I knew it my back was on the bed and I was being made out with like never before.

* * *

**Author's Note****: I bet you didn't guess that! Let me know what you think! Also, let me know what you think about Daryl's little POV points and if you think I should occasionally do that so you know where his head is at.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: ****I can't wait for Sunday! I am so ready for The Walking Dead to be back on. Thank you for all your beautiful reviews! I added a bit of this chapter in Daryl's point of view, seeing as I have written the next few chapters and haven't put that in. I was glad you guys liked that! Well, enjoy!**

Chapter 12

I woke up to a light snore in my ear. My eyes immediately opened and I looked down to see that, gratefully, I was fully clothed. Then everything hit me from yesterday; Amy's death, the road trip to the CDC, the way Daryl's lips felt against mine...and of course, the booze. My head was resting on Daryl's chest which was warm and comforting, but the hangover? Well, that wasn't comforting at all. My head was pounding and I accidentally moaned in pain.  
"Drink a little too much Kate?" I suddenly heard from my ear.  
I didn't respond. Instead I rolled off of him, missing the mattress and landing on the floor with a thud.  
He started to laugh and got up and helped me up.  
"Ass whole..." I muttered, running my fingers through my hair.  
He just laughed some more. "How's ya head doin' Katie? Does it feel like butterfly's are floating 'round it?"  
"Do you know where my normal clothes are?" I said, not wanting to talk about the pounding that was happening in my head.  
He scratched the back of his neck. "I think Jenner washed them. I heard someone open the door this mornin', but I didn't know who."  
I glanced over to the desk that was right next to the door. There sitting on the desk was my camo cargo shorts, combat boots and black tank top. I walked over and picked my clothing up to find that Daryl was still staring at me.  
"Hey mister, this isn't a strip club. Turn around."  
He chuckled and did so as I took the nighty off. "How did ya even get in here in the first place?" He asked.  
I froze. That meant he didn't remember any of the night before. But he made a point last night, it would change our relationship if he knew. My heart sank I played dumb. "I don't know." I lied, stepping into my shorts. "Last thing I remember was after my shower I played another drinking game with Glenn."  
He turned his head, thinking I was done. "Nice bra." He said with a snicker.  
I looked down at my white one with black lace at the bottom. "Thank you. Now will you keep your eyes to yourself? Or am I that irresistible?"  
He chuckled again. "Come on. I've seen ya in ya bathin' suit. There ain't a difference really."  
I threw my tank top, pulling it down. I didn't want to mention that he had also seen the bra when Shane...Shane...I bit my lip, sliding my combat boots on. "I guess your right."

(Daryl's POV)

I was a master at hangovers since I had Merle to blame for all that parting back in my twenty's. I didn't loose any memories or get hangovers at all anymore. But when I woke up, I didn't even attempt to open up my eyes for I felt a weight on my body. Once again, Katie was sleeping on me. She felt perfect there. After last night I realized something. For the first time in my life, I was in love. It felt foreign and very strange, but it felt right. I really didn't want her to wake up, for the fear that she might not remember, or worse, if she did. I had no clue where we would go from there and I would do anything to keep her, friend or not.  
After a few minutes I heard a moan of pain escape from her lips.  
"Drink a little too much Kate?" I asked, a smile creeping up on me.  
She suddenly rolled off of me, missing the bed and hitting the floor. It made a sound that sounded like one of those old cartoons.  
I was laughing, getting off of the mattress and helping her up.  
She ran her fingers through her long waves. "Ass whole..." She mumbled.  
"How's ya head doin' Katie?" I asked, still laughing. "Does it feel like butterfly's are floating 'round it?"  
Katie sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Do you know where my normal clothes are?" She asked.  
I scratched the back of my neck, liking her in the little night dress. "I think Jenner washed them. I heard someone open the door this mornin', but I didn't know who." I lied.  
She noticed the clothes on the desk, walking over to them. "Hey mister, this isn't a strip club. Turn around."  
I chuckled and turned, but out of the corner of my eye I could still see her. I couldn't help myself. "How did ya even get in here in the first place?" I asked, trying to figure out how much she remembered.  
She froze out of the corner of my eye for some reason. "I don't know." She said, pulling her shorts up. "Last thing I remember was after my shower I played another drinking game with Glenn."  
I turned my head to see her still in her bra and shorts. I guessed it was better this way, not to let her know what happened. Why would a girl like Katherine Grimes like a redneck like Daryl Dixon? "Nice bra." I said, admiring the white bra with the black lace. It was something about that combination that made her look even more sexy.  
"Thank you. Now will you keep your eyes to yourself? Or am I that irresistible?"  
She was that irresistible. "Come on. I've seen ya in ya bathin' suit. There ain't no difference really." I covered.  
She put on her tank top and boots, making her look like a complete bad ass. "I guess your right. Now, you put on a shirt and maybe Jenner has some Gatorade or has found the cure to hangovers too."  
"How do ya know he has found the cure?"  
Katie shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just hoping. To be honest, I would love to stay here for a few more nights. Just relax, safe from the world of walkers."  
It sounded great. "Maybe we can. But remember, we still don't know the answers. For all we know the world might end in a few days."  
"Wow. Aren't you just an optimist of the year."  
I rolled my eyes. "Expect the worse and ya won't get hurt."  
"And the award goes to...Daryl Dixon for being very depressing in this very depressing world."  
"Whatever Katie. I'm starvin'. Let's get something to eat.

* * *

(back to Katie's POV)  
My heart felt heavy and I was seriously depressed. I slouched over to the table and sat next to Glenn who looked like a train just hit him.  
"How are you feeling this morning Glenn?" Carol asked with a grin on her face.  
Glenn didn't look up. He was resting his head on his arm, covering his eyes from darkness. "Don't ever let me drink again." He groaned.  
Rick came over and rested his hands on my shoulders. "How are you doing kiddo?" He asked.  
I turned my head and smiled at my brother. "Just dandy."  
"Sarcasm?"  
I nodded.  
Rick chuckled and sat down next to me, Carl following from behind.  
"At least I'm doing better then Glenn..." I mumbled.  
"I heard that." Glenn said.  
"No shit. You're right next to me."  
He moved his head to give me the stink eye, then dropped it back to the table.  
T-dog came by and gave Glenn and I some eggs and two bottles of Gatorade.  
I smiled at him. "Thanks T-dog."  
He nodded. "Anytime Kate."  
"Not. Hungry." Glenn mumbled.  
"Do you want to feel this miserable all day?"  
He shook his head and started to eat the eggs.  
I took a bite, finding that I really missed eggs. I looked over at Daryl who was enjoying his eggs just as much as everyone else. I looked down at my plate and started to shovel more eggs in my mouth. I didn't know how else to get him to kiss me again...if he even wanted to. He did kiss me back... then he slammed me against the bed and made out with me for what was probably thirty minutes but probably more. But he was drunk...and there was always the last woman on earth case scenario.  
Everybody ignored my sulkiness, amusing it was part of my hangover. I completely missed it when Jenner walked in, talking to Andrea about something. I just continued to try to analyze the events of last night. Then it occurred to me, why did I care so much? Was Amy right? Was I really in love with Daryl Dixon, the best friend I have ever had? At that moment I looked over again to find him staring at me too, smiling once our eyes held contact. His eyes were the most beautiful smokey blue I had ever seen. My heart started to beat faster and faster. That was when I realized I loved him. His eyes were still glued on mine, sending me a wink. I felt my cheeks heat up.  
"You okay?" He mouthed.  
"Define okay." I mouthed back.  
He rolled his eyes, an amused smile on his lips. Oh his lips... If my brother, nephew, and ex-boyfriend weren't right there, I may have crawled across the table and just kissed the hell out of those beautiful lips. Hell, I would have done it if it were only Shane... but Rick would kill me, then kill Daryl, then kill everyone else.  
"Shane, what happened to your neck?" Dale asked, concerned.  
I looked over to him to find claw marks down the side of his neck. My eyes widened and I saw Daryl's nostrils flare out of the corner of my eye.  
Shane shrugged, taking a bite of his toast. "I don't know. I must have done it in my sleep."  
"Man, you've never done that before." Rick said. "It's not like you."  
Shane's eyes were fixated on Lori. "I know. It's not like me."  
Andrea put down her fork. "I hate to say it, but we're not here for the eggs. We want answers."  
Jenner nodded. "I guessed that. Come meet me in the main lobby when you are finished with breakfast."  
Everybody in the room stood up.  
Edwin Jenner smiled. "Alright. This way."  
We made our way down to the area with the big ass TV's and the many computers. Everyone was in the room but Daryl pulled me back.  
"Did something happen?" He hissed, his voice filled with anger.  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"  
"With Shane? Did he attack you last night?"  
I shook my head. "No. I think it was Lori."  
"How do ya know?"  
"Because I was with Glenn until I went to your room."  
He at first looked relieved, then confused. "I thought ya said ya don't remember coming to my room."  
That was it. I was screwed. First he would be mad about my lying, then my lying about the kissing, then mad about the kissing/making out... So I did tried to fix my mistake, not wanting to ruin Daryl and my relationship. I liked it where it was right now and yes, I would love for it to go farther, but... I didn't want him to shut me out in his Daryl like way. "I got a bit of last night back. Last thing I remember was us playing truth or dare and you talking about your first girlfriend." I covered.  
"Katie!" Rick called. "Your holding everyone up!"  
At that moment I wanted to hug my brother and start worshiping him. Instead I rushed over to Carl, Daryl walking behind me.  
"Vi, turn on the video." Jenner said, talking to his computer.  
Vi repeated his command, putting on a skull of a living person on the largest tv there was.  
"This is a representation of what happens during the transformation." Jenner explained. The camera zoomed in on the brain, showing these weird light things in it.  
"What are those?" Dale asked.  
"Those are everything that makes you, you."  
Suddenly it zoomed out and the lights disappeared.  
"What happened?" Andrea asked.  
"They died." I muttered.  
Jenner nodded. "This was test subject 19, a remarkable person."  
I pressed my lips together, watching a red vine like image fill the brain.  
"What's that?" Lori asked.  
"That's the infection. It invades the brain, sort of like meningitis."  
"It brings the brain back?" questioned Carol.  
"Yes, but the 'you' part, that's gone. There is nothing human left over. It takes from a few minutes to eight hours."  
A bullet ran through the brain, ending everything.  
"What was that?" Andrea asked again.  
"A bullet. He killed his patient." I said, holding onto Carl.  
The screen went blank.  
Dale walked up to Jenner. "I hate to ask one more question, but that clock is counting down to something." I looked over to see exactly what Dale said. "What happens when it reaches zero?"  
Jenner looked uncomfortable. "The basement generators run out." Then he quickly escaped from the room.  
"Fishy..." Carol muttered.  
I bit my lip and crouched down to Carl. "Why don't you and Sophia head to the rec room. We'll try to figure out who's the best chess player out of the three, okay?"  
Sophia looked up at her mom, who nodded.  
"How long will you be Aunt Katie?" Carl asked.  
I shrugged. "I don't know. You two play a game or two without me."  
The two kids walked out of the room, racing down the hallways.  
"There's something he's not telling us." I told everyone. "Something big."  
Rick sighed. "Katie, why don't you go try to see if he'll talk to you. You've always had your way with people."  
I nodded. "Got it."  
"Hell no." Shane said suddenly. "You are just going to let Katie leave to go flirt with a man who has been alone for who knows how long?"  
"I don't see the problem..."  
"Of course you don't Katie. You're too trusting with people."  
I gave the look. My favorite of my looks. My 'who the hell are you to speak' look.  
Instantly Shane backed down, giving me a victory.  
"I really hate to say this," Daryl started. "but I agree with Shane."  
My eyes widened. First of all, I never thought I would ever hear those words out of his mouth. Second, he normally let me do what I thought was right, never pulling the reigns. I was shocked and betrayed.  
He saw the look on my face, ignored it and turned to my brother. "The man's a drunk. I'm pretty sure that the last time he had a woman around him alone was when they were still living, right after the apocalypse." Then he met my eyes, his smokey blue ones containing so much concern. "I really don't want Katie around this guy. At least not alone."  
"I understand." He said. "Why don't you go with her then?"  
Daryl looked at me again before nodded. "Sounds like a plan."  
All I could do was stare at the two men who thought I couldn't handle myself. I felt betrayed, especially by Daryl.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: ****I promise I'll do responses next chapter. Exhausted from cheerleading, my coach putting in more practice because our last competition is tomorrow. So my season will officially be over on Friday so I'll be able to write more. And how about the new episode?! I was seriously crying when I thought Rick turned into a walker. I'm such a wuss... I like reviews... (hint hint)  
**

* * *

Chapter 13

We made our way down the hallway, looking into rooms to try to find Jenner. I still felt completely betrayed and childish.  
"Asshole..." I muttered as soon as we were away from everybody.  
He rolled his eyes and opened one of the doors, peering inside before closing it. "Ya actin' childish. I was lookin' out for ya own good. Ya are too clouded by ya hangover that ya can't see straight."  
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "My hangover is gone. The only pain I feel is betrayal."  
"I didn't betray ya. Ya just being dramatic."  
"Really? Because shouldn't I be able to make my own decisions?"  
He checked another room, only finding it just as empty as the last. "Yeah. I agree with that completely. I don't agree with ya seeing a drunk guy all alone. Last time that happened you almost got raped. So I'm here to save ya ass...again."  
I never said that. I didn't even want to think it. I always just avoided that word, substituting it for 'the thing that Shane almost did'. No longer feeling anger, I once again felt vulnerability. I wasn't weak, but I wasn't strong. Most men had a clear advantage over me, something that Shane used.  
Daryl realized my change in attitude, dropping the subject. He opened the door, checking it, but didn't shut it. "He's in here."  
I walked inside only to find Jenner sitting down at a desk, a bottle of whiskey in hand. I slumped down in the sofa, not even bothering to work any charm on him. He was drunk and I had Daryl blocking the door. The end.  
"We want more information."

We got some information out of Jenner, though it was hard for he was just as stubborn as Daryl was. He told us that the CDC in France had the closest lead, before someone blew it up. He ended up having everyone go to the main room before announcing that we were all going to die a fast, painless death once it reaches zero by somehow lighting the air on fire or something. He admitted that someone didn't blow up the one in France, in fact the same thing happened over there. Jenner then locked us in the room, Shane and Daryl threatening to kill him while Rick and I tried to convince him to open it. Neither worked. So there we were, everyone saying their goodbyes. I held on to Carl and Rick for dear life.  
"I love you two so much." I said, kissing Carl's forehead.  
"Aunt Katie..." Carl whispered.  
"I know kiddo."  
Rick just looked at me with sad eyes. He was my brother, the one person I had to loose once more. "I love you too Katherine."  
I hugged him goodbye and let Lori in there, walking over to Daryl. "So... this is the end."  
He shook his head. "No, it's not. I won't let ya die like this." He walked over to Jenner, this time not forceful. "We just want a shot. That's what we deserve. We made it out there before, we can do it again."  
Jenner sighed and opened the doors.  
Everyone ran out of the room except for Andrea, Dale, Rick, Jacqui, and I.  
"Come on, let's go!" Glenn yelled.  
I turned to Jenner. "Thank you."  
Rick and I looked at the others. They were leaving us.  
"Rick and Kate." Jenner said. He walked up to us, leaning in our ear. "We are all infected." He whispered. "You die, you come back as one of those unless it's a head wound." Then Jenner walked back.  
I was stunned as the clock was ticking down to my final minutes.  
"Katherine, let's go." Rick said, snapping me out of my shock.  
I said goodbye to Jacqui, knowing that Dale would get Andrea out.  
We ran into the room were Shane, T-dog, Daryl and Glenn were all beating on the bulletproof glass with the dumbest things that sure as hell wouldn't work.  
Carol ran up to Rick. "I did your laundry when you got here and found this in your pocket." She handed him a grenade. "It might work."  
Rick nodded. "Thanks." He looked at everybody. "Get back!" He yelled, pulling the pin out and releasing it, throwing it at the glass. The glass exploded everywhere as Daryl helped me up, making me run to the bike. My ear was ringing for I was the closest person to the grenade. The sharp high pitched sound was unbearable. But I kept running, ducking behind the bike. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Dale couldn't convince Andrea to come. But as soon as I thought that, out came Andrea and Dale, running for their lives. The dove to take cover just as the CDC, Jenner and Jacqui seized to exist.

* * *

I held on to Daryl as we drove on the abandoned highway, trying to comprehend what Jenner said. Cars were everywhere, some abandoned, some containing dead people and/or walkers. It looked as if it were out of a horror movie that I lived for when I was in high school. That day we lost another. I was tiered of loosing people. Everybody I once knew was probably dead or undead. Suddenly the RV stopped and Dale got out.  
Daryl drove up to him, setting his feet down to balance the bike. That was when I saw the huge semi truck blocking the way.  
"Can you get around that and find an opening?" Dale asked him.  
Daryl nodded, getting the bike up and running. We swerved around the semi, finding it was clear around there so he circled around, driving back up to Dale. "Yeah, there's an opening to the left. "  
Dale started to start up the RV, it not working. He tried again, this time it made a failure of a noise. "Guess we'll have to stop here..."  
"Great." I muttered under my breath. "I didn't know this place could get any creepier."  
"I can get it fixed up in no time." Dale said.  
Daryl pulled around, parking the bike and turning off the engine.  
I hopped off and jogged over to the people I knew before the apocalypse. "Hey, we have to stop here." I told my brother as he rolled down the window.  
"What's the issue?"  
"The RV. There's something wrong with it and Dale has to fix it."  
Rick turned off the engine, everybody getting out of the vehicle.  
I jogged back over to the RV, going up to Glenn. "Hey, want to go ran-sack those cars for useful stuff?  
Glenn grinned but it faltered. "What does Rick think."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "Since when do you care what the leader thinks?"  
"That was when Shane was leading. Your brother...he's different, more terrifying."  
This came to be a complete shock to me. "That's the first time I've heard that one."  
"He made it out of a coma alive in this world and ended up surviving through all that. Then he somehow made it back to his family without a single scratch, just pure luck."  
I rolled my eyes. "I can handle my brother. Now can we please start going through cars? I really want a smoke after everything that has been happening." I then placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as a reassuring parent would. "I'll protect you from my brother."  
He glared at me. "Bitch..." He muttered.  
I laughed and walked over to the first car I saw.  
"Kate, what are you doing?" Rick asked walking up to me.  
"Finding useful stuff. I hate to say it but it's not like anybody else is going to use this stuff."  
He sighed, walking away.  
I looked inside the glove box and found nothing but papers, receipts, and spoons and napkins from Wendy's. I groaned and moved on to the next car, which was a big red truck. I opened up the door and boosted myself up, looking in the glove box I found two packs of smokes, some extra money, and a flask. I honestly got so lucky when it came to these things. Opening up the flask, I tilted it back, draining the sip of whiskey that it contained.  
Glenn then walked up to me, handing me a box. I stuffed the cigarettes in my pocket and grinned once I saw what he had given me, nicotine gum.  
"You think I have an issue or something?" I asked.  
"Yeah, you're Katie Grimes. Of course you have an issue."  
I hit him, running back to the bike where Daryl stood, leaning against the RV. I tucked my gum into the little bag that was hanging off the side and grabbed the smokes out of my pocket, handing him a pack. "Happy birthday."  
He rolled his eyes and took the box. "How do ya get so lucky with this stuff?"  
I shrugged. "It's a gift." I walked back to Glenn, finding him with a new hat in his hands. "Wow! Score for the Korean!"  
He took of his and put it on. "Perfect fit."  
"Genius, it's a hat. Ever heard of one size fits all?"  
That was when I saw a walker start to approach us. I was about to shoot it until I saw another, then another, and then another. It was a herd.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Glenn!" I hissed. "Get under the car!"  
"Why?" He asked in a normal voice.  
"Walkers."  
Glenn turned to see the heard, instantly getting under the car.  
I dropped to the ground, rolling under the car. My heart was pounding faster and faster. I looked over to the car across me to find that one occupied by Carl. "I love you." I mouthed to my nephew.  
"I love you too." He mouthed back, his eyes filled with fear.  
I, Katherine Selena Grimes, was terrified. Not for my life, but for my family's. My eyes didn't leave Carl's, not even as I saw the first dirty, bloody foot step into my view. I held my breath, just waiting. I was the closest to the walkers. If they discovered me, then they would discover the others. Cowboy and combat boots, flats, tennis shoes and more walked by slowly, the shoes belonging to the dead. I let out a very small breath as I no longer heard or saw footsteps.  
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carl about to get out from under his car. I snapped my fingers at him to get his attention. He looked back at me and realized his mistake, slouching back from under the car.  
But since Sophia was out of my view, she started to get up also, only to meet a walker. The little girl got up from under the car, running straight towards the woods, two walkers chasing after her. I got out from under the car, my Honey Badger raised just in case there were any walkers around. That was when I saw my brother, running in the woods after Carol's kid.  
Carl was about too also but I grabbed him, kneeling so I could look into his eyes. "Are you crazy?!" I snapped. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"  
He shook his head. "No..."  
"Are you trying to be the hero here?"  
"I wanted to..."  
"Don't Carl. Rick has got it."  
"But..." He didn't continue. He knew what I was trying to say, he was just going to get in the way. He sighed. "I just want to help."  
I gave him a hug. "I know kiddo, I know. But I need your help."  
He narrowed his eyebrows. "You do?"  
"Sure thing. Try going through cars, picking out stuff that might be useful. Packaged and canned food, hygiene products, weapons... got it?"  
He nodded. "Yeah." He started walking away but I grabbed his arm.  
"Hey Carl?"  
"Yeah?"  
I checked my surroundings, making sure nobody was in sight. I saw Lori watching us, but not nearly as closely to see what I was about to do. I hugged him again, sliding my extra switch blade in his back pocket. "For safety." I whispered in his ear. "Don't show anyone you have this, you hear me?"  
"Yeah."  
I pulled back, my hands still on his shoulders. "If a walker comes by, you get under a car. If one is in the car you are checking, stab it in the head. Double check to see if you killed it. You can never be too cautious." I looked back at Lori. "And remember don't tell anyone. Especially your mother or Shane."  
"Why?"  
"They disagree with me. If they find it, lie and say you got it off of a walker and come to me. I'll find you another knife."  
He nodded, walking away.  
I turned around to find Lori walking up to me. I groaned, not in the mood for a fight with a skeleton. "What do you want?" I asked when she reached me, not really caring.  
"What did you just tell him?" She demanded.  
I sighed and started to braid my long waves back. "What I tell Carl, really isn't your business."  
"Oh, it is."  
"And why is that? Enlighten me."  
Her face was red with fury. "I am his mother."  
"And what are your qualifications to say that?"  
"I birthed him! He has my DNA!"  
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, but that and you married his father is where it all ends."  
"Excuse me?!"  
"Who taught him how to walk? Talk? Use the bathroom? Who got him over his pacifier and over the whole monsters under the bed thing? Who took him to his first day of school? Who did he come to when he lost his tooth? Who did he ask for help on his grades?" I smiled at her, glad I was making her pale face turn as red as a lobster. "Oh, that's right. That was all me. What did you do Lori?"  
She didn't answer my question that wasn't rhetorical. "I don't want you around Carl anymore."  
I sighed, annoyed that she was still making this demand today. "Alright. First of all, we are in the apocalypse. A police man isn't going to lock me in jail for disturbing a restraining order. Second, Rick wouldn't allow that. Third, I don't care about your opinion. And fourth, are you trying to do what's best for Carl or for yourself?"  
She was stunned.  
I smiled sarcastically. "Have a nice day Lori." I walked over to Glenn who was going through another car. "Nothing?" I asked.  
He pulled out a purse from under the seat. "I don't know yet." He pulled out some Aspirin, gum, a few tampons, receipts, money and some coupons for Walmart. "Not good, but not bad." He was holding onto one of those reusable grocery bags, throwing the tampons, Aspirin and gum in there. I looked inside to see a lot of the same things, but also some other more useful things such as food.  
I looked over to find Rick coming out of the woods, no Sophia, calling for Daryl. I watched as the men conversed, talking about something intensely. Rick caught my eye and motioned for me to come over.  
I jogged over to my brother and best friend, curious. "No Sophia?" I asked.  
Rick shook his head. "No Sophia. The girl was so hysterical about the walkers, I bet she didn't listen to a word of direction I gave."  
"You are going back, right?"  
He nodded, placing his hands on his hips. "Of course. I just need Daryl's tracking skills."  
"I want to go."  
Rick bit his lip, looking at the group. "Katie, your my second in command. I need you to be here just in case another herd comes. You're the one person I trust completely with Carl's and the groups lives."  
I bit my lip, but nodded. "Alright. Just...just make it back in one piece." I looked over at Daryl, who's smokey blue eyes never left mine. "Both of you. Or else I will kill the other and/or the walker version of you." I walked away, not wanting to say goodbye to either one of the men I loved as they left into the woods.  
"What did they want?" Shane said once I walked by him.  
I gripped my pistol that was in my holster. "They are going to go look for Sophia. Meanwhile, I'm in charge."  
He snorted but was interrupted before he could say anything.  
"He didn't get her?" Carol asked, her voice shaking.  
I shook my head. "Nope. But don't worry. Daryl is one of the best trackers I've ever met. He'll find Sophia." I reassured her.  
She gave me a faint nod, her eyes glossy as she retreated back to the RV.  
"Did he also find your vagina, or is that also yet to come?" Shane quipped.  
I didn't hesitate. I grabbed my pistol and jabbed it right against his temple. "Do you ever tire of the sound of your voice. Because I tell you, it get's to be fairly annoying."  
He laughed, not caring that if he said the wrong thing I would blow his brains out. "Kate, you don't have the redneck hick to protect you now."  
I dug the gun in, tempted to pull the trigger. "You know what Shane, I may not be as strong as you, but I am way smarter. And don't forget, I have my brother, Daryl, Glenn and almost everyone else on my side who would easily kill you if I told them about your attempt. You try anything else, I will not hesitate to tell them or just kill you myself." I removed the pistol from his head, tucking it back in my holster. "I dare you to even touch me. I dare you."  
Shane looked shocked.  
I grinned and walked away. "Make yourself useful Shane and actually do something." I called out. I grabbed another bag and walked over to another truck, hoping to find another gun. I opened up the front door and a half eaten walker fell out, it reaching for my foot. I grabbed my Honey Badger and shot it in the head, climbing into the car to find just what I wanted in the passenger seat. I grabbed two pistols and put them in the bag. I climbed to the back seat to find nothing but a dead body of a female, empty McDonald's cups and a suit case, cowgirl boots under the junk food bag. Opening the suitcase, I saw that once again, I hit the jackpot. The boots were just my size and so were the tank tops, jeans and jean shorts, and camper shirts. I grinned and closed the suitcase after putting the boots inside. I ran over to the RV, stuffing it under the bed. I walked over to the table where Carol sat, shaking slightly.  
"Hey." I said, sitting across from her. "Trust me. Daryl and Rick will find her."  
She looked up at me with sad eyes. "What if a walker finds her first?"  
I bit my lip. "You can't think like that. Just trust them. If there is anybody to trust, it's them."  
"What's in the suitcase?" She asked.  
I grinned. "Clothing. My size too."  
"Then go put them on. You seriously are covered in so much dirt and filth, it's not funny."  
Looking down at my skin, I saw she was right. I completely forgot about the explosion over at the CDC which created a huge cloud of dirt. I walked over to the suitcase, picking it up and carrying it over to the bathroom.  
After I got rid of some of the dirt and tied my hair back into a pony tail, I looked back to normal. Seriously, I looked like a female version of Rick. Some people often mistook us for twins, even though I was eight years younger. I was the last attempt to save a broken marriage. I came out a few minutes later only to find Carol sleeping on the mattress some people yelling. I stepped out of the RV to find Shane and Lori fighting. I rolled my eyes and walked over to Carl who looked upset.  
"What happened?" I asked him.  
He sighed and I realized he was holding a black bag. He handed it to me and I saw a knife set. "I showed them to Shane and he completely shut me down. Then mom came and I asked her if I could have one and she snapped on me. Now they are fighting."  
"Good find." I muttered. "But you should really give these to Dale. He has the gun bag too."  
He nodded and suddenly hugged me.  
"Woah, what did I say?"  
He said nothing, just holding onto me. "I love you, Aunt Katie."  
"I love you too, kiddo."  
"I don't want to loose you. I can't loose you."  
Carl was slipping from the world we used to know and falling into the world we all lived in today.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The sun was just about to start to set and Daryl and Rick weren't back yet. I was starting to worry and so were Lori, Carl and Carol. But then again, Carol had been worrying pretty much the whole day, never having a single break. She had started to freak out about an hour ago, so crushing up some sleep aid and putting it in her water bottle, I had Carol sleeping.  
Shane was napping in the back of a truck, T-dog in another doing the same, Andrea was still suicidal and moping around, Lori was pacing in front of the RV, waiting for Rick. So that left me with Glenn, Carl and Dale, all on top of the RV, keeping watch.  
For the first time, I had to say I was thankful for Merle and the silencer I now had on my Honey Badger. No more herds came by, but some single walkers would drag their feet, trying to find food. Well, they failed. Instead they found my bullet in their brains. Only three came, but that was three bullets wasted in a spot that we were stuck in.  
"Aunt Katie?" I heard Carl say from on my lap.  
"Yeah kiddo?"  
"Are you thinking that Daryl, Sophia and dad might be dead?"  
I shook my head. "No." I lied. "I'm thinking that they are going to walk out of those woods any minute."  
"Why?"  
I smiled at my nephew. "Carl, your father and Daryl Dixon are the two toughest men I have ever met. Your dad got shot and put into a coma and when the machines died, his heart stopped. But somehow he awoke from that coma, survived from all the walkers, and somehow still found his way back to us."  
He still seemed wary. "And Daryl?"  
I bit my lip, trying to child proof it. "Daryl once told me a story about his childhood with Merle. He told me they went exploring one day when Daryl was about fifteen and Merle was out of juvie. Merle and him didn't know they were on top of a cliff and were in a fight, so they started wrestling. Well Merle cheap-shotted him and Daryl went rolling off the cliff and into a deep lake."  
Carl's eyes were as wide as ping-pong balls.  
"Daryl made it out barley after almost drowning to death and loosing a lot of blood. After all that, he kept fighting. He told me that the only thing that can kill a Dixon, is a Dixon."  
"Katie." Glenn said then. "They're back."  
I looked over to see the two men, bloody and tiered. Carl got off of my lap and I rushed down the ladder to greet them. I jumped and hugged my brother, him reeking just as bad as Daryl, who I hugged next. "Did you find anything?" I asked when I pulled apart.  
Daryl nodded slightly. "Yeah, we found her trail but it's gonna be dark soon. We'll look on farther in the morning."  
I nodded. "Alright. I'm coming with though."  
"Y'all are." Daryl said.

* * *

I couldn't sleep. I was so confused about so much. Dale was exhausted so he went down to bed after I offered to keep watch. The one time something good happened, it all crumbles. I saw Daryl climbing up on the ladder, flask that I got him earlier in hand.  
"I come barin' gifts." He said with a grin.  
I smiled back, taking the flask out of his hand and taking a sip before handing it back. "What are you doing up here? "Ya need your sleep."  
He shrugged. "Figured ya might want some company."  
"I'm sorry, just so ya know."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "For what?"  
"For the whole thing back at the CDC with Jenner. I just don't want ya getting hurt. I care 'bout ya Katie."  
My heart was already beating at an abnormal rate, but now I was afraid he could hear it. "I know."  
He then smiled at me. "I like ya lil' outfit."  
Until then I forgot I changed. I felt my cheeks heat up as I looked down. My ripped up jean shorts made the boots look cute, then I had a new tan tank top on, the plaid blue and white camper shirt tied up. "Thanks." I bit my lip. "So you never told me what you did before the apocalypse." I pointed out, trying to switch it to a more comfortable topic.  
He shrugged. "Ya never asked."  
"Well I'm asking now."  
He started to chew at the corner of his thumb as he always did when he was nervous or bored. I was just hoping it wasn't the second option. "Ya gonna laugh..."  
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Oh yeah, try me."  
"I was a bounty hunter. I found people for the police or the government; good, bad, lost."  
My eyes were wide. "Wow. That's sweet!"  
He looked at me in disbelief. "Ya think that's sweet?"  
I nodded. "It's better than mine. It explains why you are so great at tracking other than the whole hunting thing."  
He grabbed the pack of smokes out of his back pocket, lighting one and taking a drag. "I got to know my fair share of criminals. That's why I have hated Shane and Ed from day one."  
I ran my fingers through my hair. "Are you sure that just wasn't because they were Shane and Ed?" I asked with a small smile.  
He pressed his lip together, trying to contain his own smile. "Well, ya gotta point..."  
I nodded. "I know. I don't just say things for the fun of it."  
He bit his lip, walking over to the fence. "What do ya think we're gonna do when we get the girl back?"  
Shrugging, I sat down, wrapping my arms around my knees. "What the broken record has said a million times." I bit my lip, looking up at him. "I just have a really bad feeling about Fort Benning, you know? And normally when I have a feeling, it's right."  
"Maybe that feelin' is just about Shane being there."  
I shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."  
"Ya can talk about it with me, ya know?"  
I nodded. "Yeah, I know."  
"What were ya like before the apocalypse?" He suddenly asked. It seriously came out of nowhere.  
"Doesn't matter. That is over."  
He frowned, upset his question wasn't answered. "It's ya past..."  
"I wasn't the same. You would have hated me."  
He rolled his eyes. "I couldn't hate ya."  
"You would have..."  
"Katie, seriously. What were ya like before the walkers?"  
I sighed, giving into defeat. He was the most stubborn person I had ever met. "Not much fun. I was all work and no play." I sighed again and tilted my head back. "I was really lost."  
He shook his head. "Don't believe that."  
I tilted my head back and looked at him, my eyebrows narrowed. "Why do you say that?"  
"Cause I know ya. Ya ain't got a brick up ya ass."  
I snorted. "That's great to know. And who has?"  
"Andrea. Has from day one."  
I was laughing. I couldn't help myself. I knew that woman had gone through so much and had an excuse but before the walker attack she really did act like that.  
Daryl smiled at me, happy to see that he successfully made me laugh.  
"What were you like before the apocalypse?"  
"Same as I am now."  
"A huge pain in the ass who doesn't shut his mouth if he doesn't get his way?" I asked in a joking way.  
He grinned at me. "Ya got it. Didn't affect my job either. I was the big bad ass, Daryl Dixon."  
Glancing over at him, his beautiful smokey blue eyes and ripped body, I felt safe. "You still are."  
He was about to say something but I saw something moving out of the corner of my left eye. I stood up to see Rick walking toward the RV, climbing up the ladder.  
"How long have you been up here." My brother asked me.  
I shrugged. "I don't know. Since Dale went to bed."  
"How long ago was that?"  
I shrugged again. "Approximately three hundred and seventy-five point two hours" I said sarcastically.  
He rolled his eyes. "Great." He checked around him for something. "I'll keep watch."  
"You need to sleep."  
"And so do you. Don't want to sleep anymore either."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "What happened?"  
"Lori...we got in another fight."  
"Rick..." I started.  
"Katherine, got to bed. I will seriously make Daryl go drag you to the RV."  
I looked at Daryl, who gave me a slight shrug. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." I turned to Daryl. "Are you coming?"  
He nodded. "I'll be in soon."  
Bitting my lip, I nodded, disappearing into the RV for sleep.

**(Daryl's POV)**  
"Katherine, go to bed. I will seriously make Daryl go drag you to the RV." Rick said. For some reason I looked at Rick as if he was everybody's leader. He was just a guy you respected and didn't want to get in the way of.  
Katie looked at me, her ocean blue eyes drained, containing exhaustion. I slightly shrugged, wanting her to get some rest before tomorrow before she passed out. She turned back to Rick, not as much determination in her movements as normal. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." She then turned to me. "Are you coming?"  
I had no idea why she always wanted me, the red neck idiot, to always be with her. Hell, I had no objections, that was for sure, but I still had no clue. I caught Rick's eye, reading he wanted to talk to me before nodding. "Yeah, I'll be in soon."  
She bit her lip as she often did and started to climb down the ladder. I heard the RV door open and close, Katie disappearing.  
"I'm worried about Katie." Rick suddenly said.  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "Why?"  
"It's been bothering me for awhile...she's been more...distant. She's jumpy around everybody but you. Do you know something?"  
Yeah, your best friend tried to rape her. I'm furious and want to do something instead of sitting around and watching Katie suffer. But I know she would hate me and be humiliated if I said a single word about it. I shook my head. "Nope. I think that's just the apocalypse and everythin' freakin' her out."  
"And why is she only comfortable around you?"  
I shrugged. "I don't know. I saved her ass a few times."  
He nodded slightly. "Okay, one last thing before I let you go."  
"What?"  
"Has she talked to you about Shane."  
I just shook my head again. "Nope." I lied again. "Well, nothin' out of the ordinary. Just her hatefulness toward him."  
"Why does she hate him so much?"  
"Controlling ex boyfriend who tries to control her and get her back. She thinks it's annoyin'."  
He nodded slightly. "Alright. You can go to bed."  
I grabbed my crossbow and started down the ladder. I got in the RV to find it pitch black except for the faint glow of a candle that was lit next to the sink. I set the crossbow down and looked around, finding Dale in the top bunk above the bed, which contained Andrea and Carol. Then where the table was normally located was the flip out bed where Katie slept at the other side of the bed.  
I was laying down next to her, getting situated on the floor when a hand grabbed my arm.  
"You're not sleeping on that floor. It sucks." Katie's tiered voice said. "Come on up. I don't bite to hard."  
I tried with all my might to get the thought of her biting my lip and crawled up on the crappy mattress and wrapped my hands around her.  
She sighed in what sounded like content. I had absolutely no idea what was going through her head, not a single clue. But she was probably imagining what it would be like to be in the normal world, with a normal job, with normal people, with a normal boyfriend. She was Katherine Grimes, she wasn't into guys like Daryl Dixon.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: ****Wow, I really suck at responding to you guys! I keep forgetting to! Sorry!**

_**MagiaMyst: Well your begging worked! Here is another chapter! Glad you liked it!**_

_**Guest #1: You have to keep in mind that Daryl has terrible self loathing issues and Katie loves him to much to do anything that would wreck their relationship. Thank you btw!**_

_**thepoliteassasin: Yeah, sorry. I can't do that! It would be awesome if I could though! I can't just spend my whole day writing chapter after chapter! Again, I wish I could though!**_

_**Guest #2: I know. I blame Merle for all of Daryl's issues with himself.**_

_**annieodairx:Thank you! Here you are!**_

_**StormR: That means a ton to me! Thank you! **_

_**Ms. Deliah Jane: Thank you! Katie is my favorite character I have written myself out of all of my story's.**_

_**teshail: Thank you, I'll keep trying! LOL!**_

**Thank you all! You are amazing! Keep reviewing, I love getting them! I also promise that I will respond more! Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 16

I was tiered and was barely able to keep my eyes open. Almost everybody from the group was searching for Sophia in the woods, trying to figure out where the twelve-year-old would have gone.  
"Hey." Rick said to me, his voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"  
I nodded, resting my head against the tree. "Yeah, I'm just tiered."  
"Told you that you should have gone to bed earlier." He muttered.  
I rolled my eyes. That had absolutely nothing to do with it.  
Three times that night I had a terrifying nightmare. They all contained Amy, Shane, Jim and Merle, like normal. But everything changed on the third. We had found Sophia, but it wasn't her. She was undead. I woke up sweating, panting as the thought of Sophia biting Carol was too much.  
Daryl was woken up, confused and concerned. With his help I was able to finally calm down, but I didn't dare go back to sleep, just resting my head on his chest as he lost consciousness. The dreams still haunted my mind, never a single detail out of place.  
"Yeah yeah, I should have listened." I uttered.  
Carl was ahead of everyone, most involved in everything, most eager to find his friend. That and I could tell he was upset with Shane, trying to get as far away from him as possible, not that I blamed the kid. So I walked with him, listening to him as he talked to me about what he found in those cars with such enthusiasm. He didn't think for a single second that Sophia might be dead.  
"So I found this kit filled with cool stuff! There was knives and stuff, and a hatchet! A real hatchet! I asked mom if I could have it but-"  
A loud ringing bell came from my left, making everybody jump and stop their conversations.  
"It could be Sophia!" Carol exclaimed.  
"Or a dumb ass walker..." I heard Shane mutter.  
The group started running toward the bell but I yanked Rick aside.  
"Katie, not now." He said, eager to see if she was there.  
I still kept my hand on his arm. "Listen. Wouldn't Sophia be smart enough to realize that the bell would also attract walkers? You have to give the girl more credit."  
He shrugged. "It's worth a shot."  
So we ran to the place with the ringing bell to find it was a church. The bell stopped so we all ran into the church to find out what rang it originally.  
"Sophia!" I called out. Three things moved out of the pews, none of them Sophia, but three walkers that never thought to leave the church. I raised my Honey Badger riffle and shot one in the head, Daryl taking out one and Rick the other. I sighed, looking around, no sight of Sophia. "Well isn't that wonderful..." I muttered.  
Right on cue, the bell started ringing. I looked up to see absolutely no bell around.  
"It's an electronic bell!" Glenn called, running outside to see where the box was. We all followed him to see him open up a rectangular box, pulling cords out of it, sending the echoing bell to silence.  
"Get inside." I demanded. "That easily could have attracted a herd. Rick, stay out here with me."  
Everyone kept looking around, following my orders. Rick walked up to me, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. "What's up?"  
"Sophia." I said. "I say you, me and Carl go look for her some more as the others get some rest in here."  
"You need rest..."  
I shook my head. "No. I refuse. I can't sleep at all now a days so I would be wasting my time."  
He put his hat back on, crossing his arms. "Do we bring Shane?"  
I bit my lip. If I said yes, I would sound like the weird ex-girlfriend. If I said no, he would know something was up. So I just shrugged. "I don't know. Do whatever you think is best."  
He was about to open the door when he stopped. "Wait, why Carl?"  
"It would be amazing if he was the one who found who found her? Plus, he just got you back and you keep leaving him. Let him feel like he is contributing. He'll be safe with us."  
Rick considered it before nodding. "We'll rest for a few minutes before going out there."  
I gave him a tight-lipped smile before walking into the church. Carol was sitting in one of the pews, her head leaning down, her hands together. I walked over to her and sat down, staring at Jesus on the cross.  
"Are you alright?" I asked her.  
The poor woman had dark circles under her eyes with both her nose and eyes red. I felt dreadful for her. If I lost Carl, I wouldn't know what to do. "I'm hoping god will answer my prayers, not that I deserve it."  
"What makes you say that?"  
She sighed, separating her hands and placing them on her lap. "I didn't do anything and Ed beat me. I could have gone to the police or something, I could have raised Sophia in a better place. This is god punishing me for my sins."  
"I'm sure that's not the case. We'll find her Carol, I promise. Carl, Shane, Rick and I are going to go search for her in a few minutes."  
Carol turned to me, pain lingering in her eyes. "Are you a woman of god Katherine?"  
I stared forward at the statue. "No, I never have been."  
"Why not?"  
I shrugged. "My life has never been rainbows and kittens. If there is a god, he was never looking out for me."  
"What happened in your life?"  
Getting up, I ignored her question. I tried to erase what happened and I didn't want to get into it. I walked over to Carl and sat down wrapping my arm around his shoulders. "Hey kiddo. Do you want to go look for Sophia with Shane, your dad and I?"  
He nodded eagerly.  
I smiled at him. "Alright. Let's get a move on."

* * *

We were walking through the forest, stepping on leaves and twigs. I was growing even more tiered, my feet aching. I wanted to just find her already. How far could she have gone? Were we going in the complete opposite direction? All I knew was I wanted a miracle, something great to happen just to tell me I was somehow doing the right thing with the group and Carl. I pretty much considered the kid mine and I knew everyone other than Shane and Lori did too. Apparently Rick was second guessing himself too.  
"Am I leading everyone alright?" Rick asked me once Shane and Carl were ahead of us.  
I nodded. "I think you are doing a great job. I couldn't do any better myself.  
He bit his lip, just as I always did and looked at me with doubt. "You could do a much better job then I could, you know. You were always bossing me and my friends around even though you were 9 years younger than me."  
I grinned at the memory. "That's different. That wasn't a life or death situation. I barely have any experience with a gun! I'm a news anchor!"  
"Yes, but you are a leader, something I'm not."  
"You were the Sheriff!"  
"That was then...things are different. I'm just saying, you have just as much power as I do. They look up to you just as much as me."  
I scoffed. "That's a lie. I didn't do anything until you got here."  
"Did you want to?"  
"Yes but-"  
"But that's that. There is no one else in this world I trust as much as I trust you, with the group and with Carl."  
I gave him a weak smile. "Are you going to tell me what happened with Lori?"  
He shook his head. "Just another fight Katie. It was the same things once again."  
"Same as before the apocalypse?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. Mostly stuff about Carl. She thinks that he doesn't need to know how to defend himself."  
"That's bullshit."  
"Don't I know it. There will be a time when Shane, you and me can't be around to defend him and he won't know what to do or how to shoot a gun." He looked at his son, an exact replica of him. "I want you to teach him how to fight."  
I looked at him strangely as if he just told me that he ate his boogers for fun. "What?"  
"I have to take care of the group. I can't teach him. Who better than you to teach him something?"  
"I don't know. Daryl? He taught me how to shoot..."  
"Yeah, he can help. But Carl looks up to you far more than Lori or even myself. He will actually listen to you. Plus you taught him everything else."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "And you want me to do this behind Shane and Lori's back?"  
He hesitated before nodding. "So...you'll do it?"  
"Of course. I agree one hundred percent."  
He smiled at me. "I knew I could count on you, like always."  
I was about to respond when Carl and Shane stopped suddenly. I slowly walked up to Carl to see what he was looking at, a large deer.  
It was so beautiful, standing there with all of its grace and beauty. The birds were chirping there little songs and the deer looked at Carl.  
Shane grinned and started to raise his gun up just as Carl took a step forward.  
I elbowed Shane bellow the ribs, making him lower the shot-gun and look at my nephew who was emerging towards the deer that didn't move an inch.  
Step by step Carl walked, the deer not giving a care in the world. He was only a foot away from the animal. That was it; that was my sign that I was doing something right. I grinned from ear to ear, amazed at the sight that took place before me. I even forgot for a second that we were in a zombie apocalypse. Maybe Carl wasn't lost like the rest of us. He still had life in him, something I lacked. On that moment I decided that I would do absolutely everything to keep him alive, mentally and physically.  
But a heartbeat later, I failed. For as of that moment, a bullet shot through the deer, making it drop, along with my nephew.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

My heart stopped beating as soon as Carl hit the floor. Rick let out a cry and Shane grabbed him, picking him up. I looked to see an overweight man running toward us, panting.  
"Is he alright!?" The man asked once he saw Carl.  
"OF COURSE HE'S NOT ALRIGHT!" Shane yelled in his face.  
"If you keep going north there is a farm-house! Go in there and ask for Hershel! He'll help your boy."  
We didn't hesitate. Rick grabbed Carl from Shane and we started to sprint. Shane was taking awhile to catch up, seeing as he was trying to keep the same pace as the overweight man.  
In the distance I saw a farm-house, white and sturdy, barn next door. A female sat on the porch and when she saw Rick and I, yelled inside.  
I reached the porch as soon as an older woman and man came out. "Are you Hershel?" I asked to the older man.  
He nodded, his eyes wide in panic.  
"Your man shot him!" I sobbed just as Rick reached the porch.  
"Get him up here!" The man demanded at Rick. I was racing up the stairs along with Rick, him holding Carl. The man ripped all sheets off of the bed, grabbed Carl and put him on the bed.  
My heart was racing and I didn't know I was crying until I put my hands on my face and removed them to feel them drenched with salt water. I couldn't breath.  
The oldest of the women then started to help the older man work on Carl, removing his shirt while the brunette woman who was on the porch wheeled in a cart. They were shouting something but I couldn't comprehend much, only hearing the dangerous words of 'wound', 'bullet', and 'death'.  
The brunette then grabbed my shoulders and started to lead me out of the room.  
"NO!" I screamed. "NO!" I could barely see for the tears clouded my vision.  
She looked me straight in the eye. "Listen. If you want your kid better, you are going to have to give them some room." She led me out side the room and into the hallway where Rick and Shane were. "If you need anything at all, yell for Maggie." Then she disappeared down the stairs.  
Rick took me into his arms, hugging me tightly. "I know Katie, I know."  
My nephew, the one person that I loved more than anything in this world, was slipping from my fingers.

* * *

I sat on the porch, a full day of misery and pain went by. Shane left with Otis, the obese man, to go get a respirator for the surgery that Carl needed and Rick wanted to go get Lori so Maggie, the brunette, went and got her. I stayed on the porch, figuring that Lori was not a great mother, but she still mattered to Carl and Carl mattered to her. Glenn and T-dog arrived then, T-dog's flesh on his arm torn off. Merle's drugs were saving T-dog, keeping him alive and out of too much pain. It was weird to say, but for the second time I was thankful for Merle Dixon.  
The night out was beautiful, but for me it held nothing but darkness. I sat on the porch railing, waiting for Shane to come back with something that would save my nephew. I hated the fact that Shane was Carl's only hope, but the only thing on my mind was my nephew.  
The screen door of the farm-house swung open, showing Maggie. "Are you alright?" She asked.  
I didn't respond, only stared out into the moonlight.  
She hopped up on the railing with me. "My dad...he has done this before."  
"How long ago?" I asked. It was the first time I had talked since I had arrived at the house.  
"Four years ago." Then for some reason she gave me a sad smile. "It just wasn't on a person. He was a vet, but he knows how to do it."  
I nodded slightly. "I'm lucky that there is at least somebody with medical experience. Better a vet than a garbage man."  
"I like the way you think." She said. "You know, I still don't know your name."  
Looking at the girl, I felt out of place. "Kate."  
She nodded. "Is that your full name?"  
"No, it's Katherine. Friends call me Katie."  
"Is it only you, Rick,Lori and Shane?"  
I smiled cruelly. "I thought you saw them all when you got Lori."  
"I'm trying to keep your mind off if it." She hopped off of the railing and leaned against it, looking at the moon. "So, tell me about them. They are coming or are here and I'm curious to know what they are like."  
I sighed. "There is Glenn, Andrea, Dale, Daryl, Carol, T-dog and...Sophia. Well, we don't know about Sophia."  
"What happened to her?"  
"A walker found her and chased her into the woods. Rick went after her and killed the walker, but we didn't find her. We were looking for her when... when Otis shot the deer."  
She nodded, understanding what I didn't want to say. "Alright. So tell me about the members of the group."  
"Which one?"  
"Um...Glenn I guess."  
I smiled slightly, thinking of my friend. "Glenn. Funniest person I have ever met in my lifetime. Even in this hell hole he can make you smile."  
"He sounds like a good guy to have around."  
I nodded. "Then there is Dale, who reminds me a lot about your dad. He still has his humanity and always questions our actions to see if they are the right thing to do."  
"And Andrea."  
I groaned. "Not my favorite person, I can tell you that. She is selfish, stupid, and suicidal. Amy would have wanted her to live and now that she is gone... Let me just say that she would have been very ashamed of her older sister."  
Maggie was a smart woman and she picked up on stuff, like the fact that Amy was a touchy subject also. "How about Daryl?"  
I looked at the moonlight again. "He's my best friend, an amazing man with amazing hunting skills. He isn't a fan of anyone else though and I am warning you right now, do not get on his bad side. But other than that, he is a great."  
"Who's on his bad side?"  
I smiled a bit. "Shane. He wants to kill him."  
She pressed her lips together. "Is Daryl dangerous?"  
I nodded. "Sure as hell he is, but only if you get on his bad side."  
"Is that easy?"  
Looking over at Maggie, I could tell she was worried. I shrugged. "Not really. It all depends on how stupid you are being."  
She nodded. "I had a friend like that before the apocalypse. That's really how my old boyfriend was."  
"He's not a bad man to have around, I can tell you that."  
Then she looked at me as if she was noticing something. Then she smiled. "I'm sure he is."  
The door swung open, showing Maggie's little sister, Beth. "Kate, it's Carl. He's awake."  
I took off fast rushing up the stairs to see my nephew, sweating and pale, but eyes wide open and panting. "Oh Carl!" I exclaimed, kneeling at his bed side. Rick and Lori were there, watching, both tears in their eyes.  
"The deer." Carl's hoarse voice suddenly said. "It was so beautiful dad. Aunt Katie, you saw it. It looked right at me. It was so incredible, so majestic. It showed so much beauty in this world." Then he started to cough again before falling back asleep. I felt a tear slip out of the corner of my eye as I smiled.  
But that ended when Carl started shaking uncontrollably.  
"HERSHEL!" I called, tears falling from my face as I watched my nephew have some sort of panic attack.  
The older man was there in seconds, pulling Rick back from holding on to Carl. "Stop! He's having a seizure! He'll have to go through it! Don't hold him down or you will hurt him!"  
After 30 seconds of the twitching and shaking, he stopped and fell asleep.  
Hershel left, calling for Patricia.  
"He talked about the deer." I whispered. "He talked about the deer." That was my sign. I stood up and walked over to Lori and Rick. "When was the last time you two slept?"  
"Two days ago." Rick mumbled, still looking at Carl.  
I rolled my eyes. "Go. Hershel said that you could sleep in the living room."  
"And Carl?" Lori asked.  
"I'll take care of him until Shane gets back. I'll send Beth for you if he wakes up."  
Rick nodded. "Alright. Thank you Katie."  
I smiled slightly as they made their way down the stairs. I grabbed Carl's hand and pressed my forehead against his chest, careful of the wound. "Carl, you have to come back. I need you here."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I sat at the table with Rick, Lori and Hershel, my head in my hands. The sun was fading in the distance and so was Carl. Shane wasn't back yet, leaving most of us with doubts that Otis and he were still people.  
"We have two options." Hershel said, the sun shining its colors on the old mans face. "Either we can wait more for Shane, or we can perform the surgery now. Both could result in death."  
I bit my lip and glanced at Rick. If the bullets weren't removed soon then Carl would be dead. I knew that, but I also didn't want to loose him in surgery.  
Rick was thinking the same thing, for he looked at Hershel with sad eyes. "The bullet fragments need to be taken out."  
Hershel nodded and got up from his seat, starting to head up the stairs.  
All three of us slowly dragged our feet up them too, each step harder to take than the other. We reached the bedroom to see the same thing as always, Carl asleep, pale and wounded, lying on the bed of white sheet. The sun was officially down and the moon began to shine bright. Hershel wheeled in his metal cart with metal tools he would use for the surgery. I couldn't bare to even look at them. They creeped me out as a child on my surgery and I didn't want to watch while they worked on the person closest to me. So I turned my head to look out the window. In the distance I saw a car driving up, its headlights shining bright.  
"Shane." I whispered.  
Lori, Rick and Hershel all glanced at the car driving up, parking a few feet away from the porch.  
I raced down the steps, my feet having a mind of its own. I threw the door open and saw Shane emerging from the car. "Do you have it?" I demanded.  
He nodded, opening up the door behind him and pulling out the respirator.  
I sighed in relief as he carried it to the porch. By then Lori, Rick and Hershel all joined and were standing on the porch.  
"Otis?" Hershel asked with uncertainty in his voice.  
Shane shifted uncomfortably, running his fingers through his hair. "He...he saved me. We were down to our last bullets when he gave me his back pack and said 'Go. I'll cover you.' He sacrificed himself for Carl."  
Hershel's eyes looked pained, but he showed no emotion. We better not tell Patricia. We'll let her know after the surgery."  
I looked back at Shane, about to express my thanks before I noticed his holster. It contained his gun and somebody else; Otis'.

* * *

After every fragment was out, Carl kept falling in and out of consciousness. He was alive and breathing. It was a miracle and I was entirely grateful. I sat on the porch swing as the sun rose, my head in resting on my brothers shoulder. Lori was with Carl, watching over him in case of consciousness.  
"Have you thought about what Jenner said?" He asked.  
I shook my head. "We really haven't had much time to think, with Sophia and Carl."  
"Do you think he was lying? That we are all infected?"  
"I don't see why he would be. I mean, the man was on his dying breath pretty much. Why would he say something that would send us in the wrong direction?"  
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I just don't understand it. How could we all be infected? What caused this?"  
"I don't know, but if what Jenner said is true, then somebody died and bit another, passing on the disease. And it went on, and on, and on."  
"Sounds..."  
I looked to where he was thinking to see the RV driving up, the bike in front of it. My heart started to pound faster and faster as they parked, the rest of the group emerging from the RV.  
Daryl saw me and smiled weakly, turning off the bike's engine and walking up to me.  
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer to me. I buried my head on his chest and I felt as if I was home.  
"Is he alright?" He whispered into my hair.  
I nodded, not wanting to speak. I closed my eyes, feeling his muscular arms wrapped tightly around me. "I'm glad you're here."  
"Ya didn't think I could leave ya behind, did ya?"  
I shook my head. "No." I looked up into his eyes, those smokey blue pools of understanding. My heart was beating a little to fast and I was terrified he would hear it.  
He let go of me when Andrea walked up. I had to resist the urge to groan in frustration.  
"Kate, I'm sorry." She said.  
"Why? He's fine."  
Her eyes widened. "He is?"  
I nodded. "Yeah, Shane got the respirator with the help of Otis...speaking of, I wanted to throw a funeral for him."  
"Who?" Daryl asked, hoping I was talking about Shane.  
"Otis. He was the one who shot Carl on accident. He shot the deer so it slowed the bullet down. But he made up for it, risking his life for Carl's." And probably was killed by the same douche who tried to rape me.  
"Alright. Let's make a funeral for him." Andrea said. Then she looked at Daryl. "We better set our tents up. Stay close, alright?" I watched as her eyes roamed all over him, anger filling me up. Not only was she annoying, stupid, weak and a total bitch to people who care about her, now she was trying to screw my man.  
He nodded, walking in the RV and grabbing two black bags from under the table, a duffel and a tent. "Where should I set up?"  
I kept walking to the right, knowing the perfect spot. I pointed to a large shady area. "That is where everyone is going to set up but I don't want to be on top of anybody." But him.  
"Oh, so ya think ya are sharin' a tent with me?"  
I stopped and turned to him. "Is that alright? I mean, I really don't have a tent 'cause I gave mine to Carol after her's was covered in her husbands blood..."  
He smiled at me. "It's fine. Just stop stealing the god damn covers, got it?"  
"As soon as you stop snoring."  
"I don't snore..."  
"You do."  
He rolled his eyes, not believing me.  
I kept walking until there was a little area, a mix of shade and sun, trees blocking off for privacy. "How's this?"  
He nodded. "Perfect." He set his duffel down and unzipped the tent bag, dumping everything out. "This should be fun."

* * *

I sat with Carl that night while Lori and Rick ate. I didn't want to be anywhere else though. I sat in bed with him, his head resting on my shoulder. He had been awake for thirty minutes now, claiming he wasn't tired even though I saw it in his eyes. A three quarters eaten bowl of chicken noodle soup sat on the nightstand.  
"You ready to eat more?" I asked.  
He slightly smiled. "Are you going to make me eat the whole thing?"  
I nodded. "Absolutely."  
"Then yes."  
I smiled and grabbed the bowl of soup, feeding it to him spoonful by spoonful. "Does it taste alright?"  
He shrugged, taking another bite. "It's definitely canned soup. I miss your homemade chicken noodle soup you used to make when I was sick."  
"It was good, wasn't it?"  
He nodded. "I just remember watching Harry Potter and Star Wars all day long while you worked on your laptop. You always watched over me if something was wrong, like you are doing now."  
I fed him the last spoonful of soup, set the bowl down and kissed his forehead. "It's my job." I got up and pulled the covers on top of him. "Get some rest. You're dad will be up when he is done eating."  
"Night Aunt Katie."  
I kissed his forehead again. "Night baby. I love you."  
"I love you too."  
I walked over to the door and shut the light off, closing the door quietly behind me. I walked down the stairs to see Lori and Shane talking intently about something. They stopped as soon as they saw me.  
"How is he?" Shane asked.  
All I could notice was Otis' gun in his holster as he spoke. "Much better. He was awake the whole time I was in there. He had a whole thing of soup too."  
Lori sighed in relief. "Thank you. He wouldn't eat for Rick or I..." she stopped talking. "Shane, can I talk to Katherine for a minute alone?"  
Shane nodded, giving us both a lingering glance before leaving back into the kitchen.  
"Lori, I am not in the mood..." I started.  
She held up her hand to stop me. "I am not going to lecture you anymore. It pains me to say this but everything you said to me earlier was right. I haven't been a good mother to Carl and I want to do better, without stepping on your feet. I realized when I saw him lying there, almost dead, how much of a bitch I had been to you, the woman who raised such a brilliant boy."  
I was stunned and seriously thought I was hallucinating. "Wait, what?"  
She let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, for everything Katherine."  
Shocked, I nodded slightly. "Wow. Um, I meant thank you, for the apology."  
She nodded and started up the stairs.  
I opened up the front door and slid out into the night. It was about eleven and the moon shone so brightly it illuminated the whole farm. Walking over to my new tent, I started to like this day. My nephew was alive, I got Daryl back, Lori woke up, and we were finally settling back down someplace. I reached mine and Daryl's tent, sliding my cowboy boots off and stepping in to find him lying on the cover bed, snoring slightly.  
I shrugged and took off my camper shirt that I had worn for a few days now, dirty with dried up blood splattered on it. I then I lipped off my pants, not caring I was only in a tank top and underwear, I was tired. Then, I slid into the covers my back facing Daryl. I was about to fall asleep when I was suddenly pulled closer to Daryl, his arm around my waist. He wasn't intentionally doing it, but he buried his face in my hair, moaning softly. This day couldn't have gone any better.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
****Yay, happy chapter! You should review and tell me what you are thinking. I would really like to know  
**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

(Daryl's POV)

I was outside a house. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just a white house with a white picket fence, the grass forest green, kids running on the street. It seemed peaceful and nice. I walked up onto the porch to get more information when a wooden plate was attached next to the door that read 'Welcome to the Dixon's'. This was not my house, but yet at the same time it felt like it was. So I opened the brass knob and walked in.  
It was official, this was not my house. My first house was shitty, run down and dirty before it burned down, and my next one wasn't better. My apartment was alright, but nothing fancy. This place was beautiful. The walls were painted a tan color, candles lit on the end tables of the couch that was across from a flat screen TV. I walked into the kitchen to find it even more beautiful and classy as the living room. Dark brown wood floor, gray granite counter tops with brown cupboards, a nice stove with a wood finish too, dim lights hung above the sink. I walked over to the stove to smell something great cooking that looked like some chicken dish, a pot of soup next to it, a salad bowl on the counter. Somebody walked past the door, calling out to me.  
"Hey Dare, can you stir that? I have to make a business call."  
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it, so I picked up the black spoon and stirred the soup, the smell mouth-watering.  
I started to walk in the direction of where I saw the woman go, walking up the stairs. I checked all the rooms to see if she was there, but no sight of the woman with the voice. The last room I saw had the door shut and I could hear the voice again, clear, beautiful and familiar. I opened the door to see a peach and white room with a large desk that wrapped around half the room and a peach couch, the woman's back turned to me, brown hair in an elaborate up-do. I walked over to the part of the desk where pictures were lined up in white frames. The first one I recognized instantly, it was Katie and Carl, but Carl looked like he aged four years and Katie had makeup on for the first time I have ever saw here. But then again I had seen her on TV with loads of makeup on done by professionals. The second one was Rick, Katie, and I at a bar, our glasses raised to the camera. The third one was Katie and me on the park bench, her smiling at the camera, me looking down at her like she was the most heavenly creature on this world. The fourth one was shocking. Once again, it was Katie and I, but this time she had her hair up with pearls in it, a strap less wedding dress on, my hair slicked back and I was wearing a tux. We were kissing under an altar on the beach.  
"But that can't be right... there is something wrong... wait, read that back to me... never mind Gary, it's right...yeah, I'm fine. Just ready to be done with work...alright, I'll see you tomorrow." The woman said into her Bluetooth head set. She hit a button on her phone and whirled around to show Katie but in a business like matter. She didn't look like I normally saw her; she was clean and professional looking, a white button down shirt, black skirt, nylons and black heels. "I know what you are going to say, but don't. I already know." I couldn't help but notice the diamond ring on her finger along with a silver band, the same one that was on mine.  
"What was I gonna say?" I asked, leaning against the desk. I was curious on what I was like in this world.  
She rolled her eyes. "Kate, you have work hours and you have the hours where work lets you go home and relax. It's just, everything is so hectic at the office and I'm under so much stress and-"  
I grabbed her waist and kissed her. It was the second time kissing her but at the same time it felt like the hundredth time.  
I felt her body relax in my arms as she wrapped her arms around my neck loosely. She pulled away and let out a sigh of contentment. "I love you."  
"I love ya too."  
She grinned, letting her arms fall over my chest. "Let's go get some dinner, shall we? I'm making your favorite if you haven't noticed."

* * *

My eyes flung open and all I saw was a sea of brown waves that smelled of vanilla. I was holding onto a body that seemed to fit perfectly in my own. My brain then kicked in and I remembered the only female brunette that was sleeping in my tent was Katie. I grinned, but noticed that I felt the skin of her legs and arms. I unwrapped myself from her and rolled over, throwing the covers off both of us. Katie was in a black tank top that hung to her curves and pink underwear. It was a sight that I could get used to.  
"Give me the blankets." She moaned.  
"It's time for you to get up sleeping beauty."  
"Sleeping beauty didn't wake up without a kiss. I can stay sleeping."  
Oh how I wanted to kiss her, but I didn't want to do anything to ruin the relationship or have her reject me, which was a given. Oh but how I wanted her. I wanted every perk and every flaw that was Katherine Grimes to be mine.  
"Katie, come on. Ya gotta go check on Carl and I'm gonna go out and look for Sophia."  
She groaned but sat up slowly, running her fingers through her long waves. "I wonder if Maggie is good with scissors..."  
"Why do ya wonder that?"  
She shrugged. "I need a hair cut. My hair is getting annoying and might get caught in a branch if I'm running. Great way to die, huh?" She then snorted. Then she noticed what she was wearing, but just shrugged it off, standing up and stepping into the jeans that were thrown aimlessly on our bags. "Can I wear your flannel shirt? Mine is dirty, bloody and doesn't smell the best."  
I nodded, crawling over her and unzipping my bag, tossing her my flannel with the sleeves cut off.  
She then slid it on, braiding her hair back, tying it off with an elastic on her wrist. "Ready to face another day?"  
"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

(Katie's POV)  
Last night I didn't get much sleep. Now instead of everyone I normally dreamed about, now it was Carl. The only thing that comforted me at all was waking up to Daryl, his arms wrapped around me tightly. It was the one place I felt safe and not constantly worrying about something else. But when I wasn't there, I had so many worries, some that couldn't ever happen but still occur in my haunting dreams. After a terrible one of Carl, I woke up and clung onto Daryl's shirt, burying my face in his chest. I didn't want to close my eyes for I feared what would happen next. But I ended up falling asleep again, this time peacefully. I didn't dream of my family turning into walkers or my friends. Instead I dreamed of the old abandoned house that Rick and I used to play in, it was fixed up and to my liking. It was amazing. Carl then walked in the house, completely human, and I made him grilled cheese and we went into the back yard. Under a big shady tree we had a nice picnic with no walkers. It was the best dream I had since the apocalypse.  
So the rest of the day, my mood was in a much better place. I walked out of the tent and jogged up to the porch where Maggie sat on the porch swing.  
"Hey, how good are you with scissors?" I asked her, running my fingers through my long waves.  
She smiled at me. "Pretty good. I've cut my own since my mom taught me when I was eight."  
"Wanna cut mine?"  
"Sure. Why don't you go see Carl while I get everything ready out here."  
I nodded and started up the stairs. I walked into the room Carl was in and smiled. The kid was sitting up in bed, eating some cereal.  
"Hey kiddo. How are you this morning?"  
He grinned at me and set the bowl on the night stand. "Sore."  
I rolled my eyes and sat on the bed with him. "Frosted Flakes, huh?" I asked, glancing on the cereal bowl.  
"My favorite."  
Narrowing my eyebrows, I got in the covers with him. "What happened to Lucky Charms?"  
"I don't know. I guess I grew out of them."  
"Your doing a lot of that lately. Damn teenagers..."  
Carl grinned at me.  
I smiled back. "So listen. I was talking to your dad and we decided, before you got shot, that I'm going go give you some lessons on shooting and defending yourself."  
"Really?" His blue eyes lit up.  
"Yup. But it's our little secret. No telling Shane, Lori, or anybody else, got it?"  
He nodded and pretended to zip his lips shut.  
I rolled my eyes and hit him on the back of the head.  
He started to laugh when Maggie came into the room. "You ready?"  
I hopped off the bed and gave Carl a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back later. Don't get up and cause trouble."  
"Yes, because getting up is so easy and I am such a trouble maker."  
Maggie led me down the stairs and out onto the porch where she had a stool set up and a bunch of stuff that looked like it belonged in a hair salon.  
"So how much shorter do you want it?"  
I pressed my lips together. "Little longer than shoulder length." She motioned to the stool and I climbed on top. "This should be fun."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I stood over the well along with half of the group. Inside it was a gross walker that seriously had fat rolls. It looked like it never was human.  
"We can't contaminate the water..." Dale said. "Someone needs to go down there and somehow get it out."  
"And who in their right mind would do that?" Andrea asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Glenn?"  
Almost everybody in the group looked at Glenn.  
Glenn groaned. "You have got to be kidding me..."  
"Yeah, why Glenn?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair which felt so odd. "Why not you Andrea?" Daryl flashed me a look and I shrugged. That women was on my last nerve.  
"I'm faster and smaller." Glenn mumbled, knowing his role in the group. "I'll do it. But I want more food then all of you this week."  
So a few minutes later we were all standing over the well, Glenn being lowered into it. All the men were on the rope, lowering him down and down.  
"This is a bad idea..." Maggie mumbled.  
"I know, why not put someone less valuable on the line?"  
Only Maggie and Daryl heard me so I received a questioning look from the farm girl and another warning glance from Daryl.  
All of a sudden, Glenn started yelling. "BRING ME UP!"  
All the men started bringing him up, Glenn barely reaching the top before crawling on the floor. "I'm never doing that again." He muttered, standing up next to me.  
"Andrea's turn." I mumbled under my breath so only Glenn could hear it. He grinned at me, thinking the exact same thing.  
"Oh well." Dale said. "It's a lost cause."  
Glenn narrowed his eyebrows. "What makes you say that?" He then picked up the rope and gave it to T-dog. "See for yourself."

After failing at getting the big fat walker out of the well and contaminating it, Glenn and Maggie left for the pharmacy. Everybody was eating dinner but I wasn't in the mood to play happy family with these people I barely knew. Carl was sleeping and Rick and Lori were who knows where. Shane kept trying to talk to me so I hid out. In the back yard of the farmhouse I found a tree well suitable for climbing. I stepped up onto the first branch that was able. I reached my arm up and gripped the tallest branch I could, climbing my way to the middle of the tree. I sat there under the stars, leaning against the trunk, just thinking.  
Lost in thought, I heard a wolf whistle from under the tree.  
"Hey hottie in the tree! Why are you isolated?"  
I looked down to see Glenn, grinning from ear to ear. "Come join me. It's very lonely up here."  
He climbed the tree and sat down on the branch next to me. "So why are you up here?"  
I shrugged. "I just wanted some time to think."  
"About?"  
"People."  
"Any certain person? Is that person called Daryl?"  
I rolled my eyes but avoided eye contact. "Would you judge me if I said yes?"  
He shook his head. "I still see the eye sex between you two. Is that the only contact other than sleeping in the same tent?"  
I bit my lip and looked down.  
"Why Katherine Selena Grimes, did your hunter hunt you?"  
Hitting his shoulder, I started to laugh. "No."  
"Then why are you blushing? Come on, I'll tell you something if you tell me."  
"What are we, in third grade?" I asked with a huge smile on my face.  
"Yes. Now let me know."  
I sighed. I guessed it would help if I let someone know, if I could talk to someone. "I was wasted at the CDC, you knew that."  
He shrugged. "Last thing I remember was our rematch on the racing."  
"I was still wasted. So we played a drinking game and then you passed out."  
He nodded slowly. "That was what I was going to ask you..."  
"It was funny. So I made my way to Daryl's room...and we played truth or dare...and I ended up getting him to admit that he thought I was attractive and then..."  
"And then?"  
I sighed again, grinning. "And then we started to make out."  
"Wow. So are you two together or did you..."  
"Glenn, shut up. I'm not done. You are jumping to conclusions.  
He rolled his eyes. "Fine."  
"But when I woke up in the morning, I found out that he didn't remember anything. Not a thing. So I lied about how much I remembered. That's the end. That and I sleep in his tent with him." I looked over at my friend to see him with his eyebrows raised. "What?" I demanded.  
"When did you become so stupid?" He asked.  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"When a male is drunk, it gives him an excuse to do what he really wants. It is obvious what Daryl wants to do to you. Kiss him again, this time when both of you are sober, and get over it."  
I bit my lip. "What if it ruins everything?"  
"Then you can at least know instead of beating yourself up. Katie, you are one of our leaders. We can't have you afraid."  
I released my lip. "Alright, so what happened with you?"  
Glenn grinned again. "I got laid."  
My eyes widened. "Um, by who?"  
"Farmers daughter."  
I just stared at him in disbelief. "Maggie?!"  
He nodded, a smug look on his face. "Yeah. It was awesome. I accidentally picked up some condoms and there she was."  
"Is this a joke?"  
Glenn shook his head. "Nope. I thought I was hearing things."  
"Well at least one of us had an alright day."  
"Oh Kate, it wasn't alright. It was amazing."  
I hit his shoulder, both of us laughing.  
He started to climb down the tree, his feet hitting the floor. "Come on Grimes. It's bed time for children."  
I hopped down too, walking in front of him. "I'm older than you by four years. Don't even try with me."  
"Well, I got laid today. You didn't. That makes me a winner."  
I rolled my eyes. "Asshole..."

* * *

Glenn was right. I didn't have the guts I needed to help Rick lead this group of people, and I could admit that. Before the apocalypse I could easily tell a guy what I thought. But this wasn't just any guy, this was the first person I actually cared deeply for, the first one I had a real friendship with, this was Daryl Dixon. Strong, muscular, funny, smart, a complete and total badass, secretly cared deeply about people, and easily the most amazing man I had ever met. I didn't think I would be able to handle rejection from him, especially if that meant loosing him. Plus, I knew that once someone opened up to him, he would shut down if the littlest thing happened. It was his way of coping. The only person Daryl trusted with his life was his brother, who was probably dead.  
So I didn't take Glenn's advise right away and figured I would look for some sort of sign like I always did. It wasn't rational, but it was what I needed. I crawled in the tent to find him reading a book in the glow of the old fashioned lamp, just like I did at the CDC. Taking of my boots, I peered over at him, examining the cover.  
"Whatcha reading?" I asked curiously, setting my boots in the corner. Leaning over, I started to dig for my yoga shorts I found in one of the cars on the highway.  
"Misery, Steven King." He mumbled, his eyes never leaving the page. "It was in Dale's RV and I figured he wouldn't mind."  
I nodded, finding the black shorts. "Alright, I'm going to trust you to keep your eyes on that page."  
He looked at me for the first time. "Why?"  
"Because I need to change. Now don't be a perv and listen to me."  
Daryl chuckled and moved his eyes back to the page.  
I then removed my clothes and put on the shorts, walking over to his bag.  
"What do ya think ya are doing?" He asked, looking at me funny as I dug through his bag.  
"God dammit Daryl, I am going to make you put your head in a pillow in a minute."  
He smiled slyly and went back to reading. "Now will ya tell me what ya are doin' in my bag?"  
"Yeah, all my clothes are dirty because I am always the last one to wake up and I forget when laundry day is. Plus, I have tank tops and camper shirts. I want a real sleep shirt."  
"I don't have a sleep shirt."  
"Well it will be a sleep shirt on me so just go with it." I pulled a grey shirt out and put it on, it covering my yoga shorts so it looked like I was only in that. "Perfect." I muttered, zipping the bag back up and crawling in the cover bed. "So what is it with you and mysteries?"  
He shrugged, his eyes not leaving the page. "Keeps my interest. I like not knowing whats going to happen."  
"I'm the opposite. I've always read the last page of every book."  
Daryl folded the corner of the page he was reading, set it down next to the lamp, and looked at me like I was insane. "Are ya insane? Ya ruin the whole thing! What's the purpose of reading it then?"  
"To find out how it gets to that point." I pulled the covers on me and rested my head on his chest. "I have to tell you something that you can't tell anybody else."  
He picked up the lantern and blew it out, laying on his pillow and wrapping his arm around me, the other one propping his head up. "Who else knows?"  
"Rick. That's it."  
"So it's a leader only thing?"  
I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. We just don't know what to make of it."  
"And that is?"  
Sighing I closed my eyes. "Jenner pulled us out at the last second and told us that we are all infected."  
"What's that mean?"  
"It means that no matter how we die, old age, disease, a shot in the heart, we will all turn into walkers." I tilted my head up to see his expression which wasn't shocked or anything.  
"So the egg came first..."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "What does that mean."  
"Well, the life long question is 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' In this case, it was the disease and when somebody died, it spread and spread, creatin' mindless creatures that kill. A walker bite may not even cause it if that is the case. A bite could just kill ya, and you'll come back."  
"But Jenner was crazy, we don't know what is the truth and what isn't."  
"But why would he lie?"  
I paused, staring up at the top of the tent. "That is what Rick said."  
"Alright, we'll talk about this when I get back tomorrow. But ya need yer sleep. Aren't ya helping Rick with some leaderly shit?"  
I smiled and nodded, nestling my head back into his chest. "Yeah, if that's what you want to call it."

* * *

I woke up shaking, bolting straight up in bed. I ran my fingers through my shorter hair and felt my forehead was damp from sweat. I was panting, trying to catch my breath.  
"Katie? What's wrong?" Daryl asked, concerned as he also sat up in bed.  
I put my hands to my face to find out I was crying.  
"Katherine?" His voice was filled with puzzlement. "Bad dream?"  
Oh, he didn't know the half of it. I looked at him then, my vision blurred from tears.  
He pulled me close to him as I sobbed in his shirt. He stroked my hair, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Wanna talk about it?"  
I shook my head. I just wanted to fall back asleep with his arms around me.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"And where do we go next?" I asked Rick, leaning against the car with Shane and him.  
Shane rolled his eyes. "Seriously Kate, I told you a million times, Fort Benning."  
"Yeah, but I don't think that is the best option. I bet a ton of people went there and one walker comes along and BAM! Bye bye Fort Benning."  
Rick scratched his head, considering the possibility. "Shane, Kate has a point."  
"I always have a point, thank you very much. Now is there any really safe places around? An island, maybe?"  
Shane ran his fingers through his hair. "And how hard will that be to clear that out? How many people are you ready to lose? You're supposed to be a leader Kate, not an idiot."  
"I'm trying to figure out a place to live without the fear of walkers on our hands! I want Carl to have a somewhat normal life! I want him to grow up in a place without the fear of dying constantly weighing on his shoulders! I want to be able to have a peaceful night of sleep without worrying or waking up with terrifying nightmares! So excuse me, but you're the idiot here." I was about to turn and walk away before I punched him in the face but that was when I noticed the walker in the field. "Andrea," I addressed the blonde on the top of the RV, a sniper in her hands. "don't shoot. You know Hershel's rules."  
Andrea looked at me, then back at the walker, debating rather or not to listen to me or not. I grabbed a hammer from the front seat of the car. "Let's take care of this."  
Shane, Rick and I all started to run down the field to the lone, limping walker. It wasn't until I was a few feet away from it when I realized that the bloody, beaten up thing wasn't a walker, it was Daryl.  
"Come to finish me off Sheriff?" He hissed at Rick.  
"Daryl?" Rick asked, stopping in his tracks.  
"What Sheriff? Didn't recognize me in my true element?"  
Shane narrowed his eyebrows. "Is that walker ears around your neck?"  
"Don't question me you piece of shit rapist!"  
I pursed my lips. "Daryl, what happened?"  
"Oh that's just perfect, little Grimes tryin' to act like she gives a shit about-"  
In that moment Andrea, being the cocky buffoon she was, fired the sniper riffle, the bullet grazing the side of Daryl's head.

* * *

I sat in the bed that we now called the hospital bed with Daryl as he held the icepack to his head.  
"Daryl, you found Sophia's doll. Where?" Rick asked, leaning on the windowsill.  
Daryl, who seemed much better than in the field, removed the ice pack. "On a rock in the creek. I'll set out again tomorrow."  
"No you aren't." I commanded, wiping some blood off of his face with a washcloth.  
"I am."  
"No you aren't." I repeated. "I also have say over you people and you aren't moving for at least two days."  
"Katie..."  
"Don't you dare 'Katie' me, Daryl Dixon. You fell off a cliff, survived that, fell on an arrow that went through your side, survived that, a walker attack after all that, survived that, and made your way back to me after all that, survived that, and lastly, got shot by a dumb idiot, survived that."  
He smiled slightly, his eyes tired. "What have I always told you, only a Dixon can kill a Dixon."  
"And you almost did that too. You will stay in this bed this whole time unless you have to use the restroom."  
He rolled his eyes. "Alright, and are ya gonna wipe my ass for me too?"  
"Stop being a smart ass."  
He gave me one of his Daryl grins. "Yes ma'am."  
That was when I remembered my brother on the windowsill who witnessed that whole thing. "Can you organize a search for Sophia? Preferably with Andrea in it so she can start with her apology letter for shooting Daryl?"  
Rick nodded, walking over to Daryl, resting his hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you survived all that. You are a very valuable person in our group. Now let Katie take care of you."  
And with that he disappeared.  
"Now that he is gone..." I started, sitting up. "we need to talk about what you said out there."  
Daryl sighed. "Really Katie, it doesn't matter. I wasn't myself and I was hallucinatin'. I even saw Merle with his hand and everythin'... and I'm sorry."  
"It's alright. But do it again, I'll have your ass on a stick."  
He grinned at me. "I'll hold ya to it."  
"You better."  
He chuckled.  
"And about what you said...I do give a shit about you. I give lots of shits about you. You are a very important person to me and I would be devastated if I lost you. So don't even think that for a second." Avoiding his look, I glanced out the window where I saw Andrea talking to Rick. "Plus, if she did head shot you, I would have killed her."  
He rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. Oh those lips... "My death just would've been an excuse for ya to kill her without anyone gettin' mad."  
I shrugged. "Well, I would be more creative if she killed you."  
"And about the carin' thing, you really shouldn't care 'bout me. I'm a worthless piece of shit that ya don't need pulling you back."  
At that moment I didn't care of all the shit he went through today. I slapped him across the face, my hand leaving a puffy red mark on his cheek just like Lori's.  
"Ouch woman!"  
"I'll do it again." I threatened. "You're being an idiot. You're not pulling me back at all. You've helped me so much and don't even realize it. If it weren't for you, I would have been raped. If it weren't for you, I would have died many times. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would want to live in this world."  
He dug inside the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a silver chain with a heart pendant on it, sapphires encrusted in the sterling silver. "I saw this on a walker today that I killed. I saw the sapphires and it reminded me of yer eyes. I cleaned it in the creek so...it's not like it has walker blood on it." He put it in my lap, his cheeks a light shade of pink.  
I picked up the necklace and was amazed. It was so beautiful, so exquisite. "It's amazing." I said, staring into his smokey blue amazing eyes, the ones that made my heart skip a beat.. "Will you help me put it on?"  
He nodded and sat up as I wrapped the necklace around my neck, him clasping it together.  
My heart was pounding so fast I could hear it and knew that he could to as his breath warmed the back of my neck. 'This is it.' I told myself in my head. 'Time for you to stop being a wuss like Glenn said and start being a leader.'  
I took a deep breath and turned around so I was facing him. "Thank you."  
"Of course."  
I rested my hand on his cheek looking into his eyes. "You're amazing, Daryl Dixon. Don't let anyone ever tell you different. " Then I leaned in, my lips pressing against his.  
I really was drunk at the C.D.C. because I thought kissing Daryl drunk was amazing. But kissing him sober...that was freaking heavenly. I felt light headed as his hands grabbed my waist, pulling me on top of him. All I knew was, I really wish I would have done this earlier because I was missing out on so much.

* * *

"So if you could have any super power, what would it be?" I asked him a few hours later while he was playing with my hair. It still felt weird, having it this short. The sun had set and I heard dinner going on down stairs and knew I probably should have got some food for the both of us but I didn't want to leave, not for a second.  
"Um, in this world or the one we used to live in?" He asked, twirling my hair on his finger.  
"Good question, though mine would still be the same. Both I guess."  
He scratched his neck with his free hand and sighed. "For this world I would have to choose invincibility so the walkers can't kill me and for the other one I would do mind reading. It really would have helped to see who is lyin' or not. You?"  
"Invisibility. That way I could sneak into stores and places for free and listen in on conversations. Plus, the walkers can't see me so that's my bonus in this world."  
He nodded. "So what's on yer mind right now?"  
"You know, saving the group and potentially the world. Killing Andrea, finding a place to live, making out with you, shooting Shane in the head and raising a teenager."  
He grinned. "That's a lot of things."  
"Welcome to my world."  
"Well, I can't help ya with savin' the world, I'm not gonna kill Andrea, we have a place to live, I will easily shoot Shane in the head, can't help with Carl..." then the sly smile formed on his lips. "But the makin' out...that I can do."  
I grinned and rolled back over on top of him, kissing him gently 'cause I already hit him, I didn't want him to get damaged even more.  
But it didn't go farther then that because as soon as he pressed his hands on my back the door opened, showing Carol and a tray of food.  
I rolled off quickly to see the woman with wide, shocked eyes. I bit my lip and ran my fingers through my hair. After a moment of awkward silence, I got off the bed. "Well, I am going to go check on Carl and get some food with him. I will be back later." I addressed the last part to Daryl. "Hi Carol, bye Carol." I said to the woman as I walked out the door, shutting it gently behind me. I pretty much ran down the stairs, not wanting to be in that situation again for that was just awkward. I walked into the kitchen to find both Rick and Carl at the kitchen table.  
"Well if it isn't my two favorite people." I said, running my fingers through my hair as I always did when I was nervous. "What's for food?"  
Carl grinned at my old reference. "Mom and Carol made dinner. It's soup, and not the canned stuff."  
I smiled at him, walking over to the pot and pouring myself a bowl, grabbing the last spoon on the counter. I walked over to the dinning table and sat down next to my brother. I took a bite of the soup, finding it was the best thing I have eaten since the apocalypse. "Wow, this is amazing!"  
Rick nodded. "Sure is. You should cook sometime soon. You're an amazing chef Katie."  
I smiled. "I still remember I wanted to be one in middle and high school."  
Carl looked at me confused. "Aunt Katie, what happened to your lips?"  
"What do you mean kiddo?"  
He bit his lip, something us Grimes were famous for. "They're red and puffy."  
I wanted to put my head in my shirt and walk far, far away, anything to get rid of the gaze my brother gave me.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
****So Katie blew up on Shane again, Daryl got shot, Daryl and Katie finally kissed and Rick knows something is going on. Let me know what you are thinking of the chapter or the story! -Emma **


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Glenn!" I called out as my friend was walking quickly across the lawn. He looked confused, conflicted, and angry, something I rarely saw on the fun-loving person he was.  
He whipped his head around to see me, biting his lip. "Hey Katie, um now is not the best time I gotta go...shave my teeth..." Then he walked away.  
"Shave your teeth?" I called out to him. "That's the dumbest thing you've ever said and I've seen you smashed!"  
"Yeah, well there is a lot of plaque!" He hollered back.  
I just stared at him as he kept on walking, looking terrified.  
"What the hell was that 'bout?" Daryl asked, coming beside me.  
I smiled, my lips still together. "He has to go shave his teeth."  
"And how's he gonna do that?"  
I looked at him like he was a dumb ass. "Nobody shaves their teeth." Then I looked back to the Asian man. "He's hiding something. Glenn can't keep secrets and when he tries, it ends in stupid things that make no sense, silence, and then he blows up and tells someone on accident, along with five other things he has been hiding that aren't that important. You watch, it's a cycle."  
He narrowed his eyebrows. "And how do ya know this?"  
"I've seen it twice before. One was about Amy's necklace and the surprise we were going to do for her birthday. He said that he had to go feed his clams, wax his feet, and get the parrot out of his tent. Then he stopped talking all together for the fear that he would spill it. And then Amy came up to him, asking what he was doing and he spilled that he's only had sex with one girl, that we were throwing her a party, the fact that Shane was sleeping with Lori, and that he secretly thought Amy was really hot. You don't want to hear about the second one, it's not a fun one to listen to."  
Daryl nodded, biting the corner of his thumb. "So the kid's not gonna talk?"  
"Yeah, give it four minutes. Then he'll go see Dale and accidentally tell him."  
"Why Dale?"  
"Because Dale talks the least other than you. Than and he's not Andrea, he's not going to tell everyone."  
He narrowed his eyebrows. "Why not you?"  
"Because other than Rick, I'm the leader. This is something that affects the group. He will try everything in his power to get away from me and make up twenty excuses. You watch."  
I walked up to Glenn who was by the tent. "Hey Glenn, what are you up to? Shaving your teeth?"  
He fidgeted uncomfortably. "Um, no. I accidentally said that. I meant to say I was going to take a nap... then I'm gonna see Dale. He's been having troubles with the RV lately."  
I nodded, running my fingers through my hair. "Oh, I didn't know that. I'll guess I'll come with you. I haven't talked to Dale all day..."  
He shook his head. "No, um I think Rick needed you for something. Leader duty first, visiting second." He faked a yawn. "Well, night Katie."  
"It's mid day."  
He laughed nervously. "Oh, is it? I didn't notice..." Then he slipped in the tent.  
I walked back over to Daryl who watched the whole thing. "It's something big." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Maggie walking up to me.  
"Hey Kate, have you seen Glenn."  
"Yeah, he was tiered, wanted to take a nap."  
She looked just as conflicted as Glenn and I realized she had something to do with it. "Did he tell you?" She asked. "Like anything?"  
"Yeah." I lied. "He told me everything."  
"Alright listen, I get it sounds crazy, just don't do anything about them. They are locked up safely and can't hurt anyone."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "What are?"  
Her eyes went wide. "I gotta go..."  
"Maggie..."  
But the farmer's daughter was gone, running to the house.  
"What is locked up safely and where?" I asked Daryl. "Do you have a clue?"  
He shrugged. "It's either murderers or walkers."  
"Walkers are murderers..."  
"Alright, it's bad people or bad dead people. Better?"  
I bit my lip. "And where would they be locked up? The basement?"  
He shook his head. "The blondes boyfriend sleeps there. Ya really think Hershel would let him sleep with his daughter?"  
"No..."  
"Maybe a closet, shed or..."  
My eyes went wide as I looked at him. "A barn?"  
He nodded.  
"Have you ever seen anyone go in there or anything in there?"  
He shook his head. "Never been near the barn."  
I bit my lip again. "Well let's go check it out."  
We walked over to the barn and saw the door get hit. I rushed over to it and peered through the crack, dead bodies walking around, at least a dozen in there.  
I started back, my heart pounded.  
"Kate, what is it?" Daryl asked, concern filling his voice.  
I just pointed to the barn.  
He leaned in and put his eye to the crack. "Holy shit." He whispered.  
I bit my lip. "We have been worrying about walkers invading the farm, not knowing that they were already living here!" I hissed, trying to keep my angered voice low.  
"There is chicken bones in there Katie..." He muttered, chewing on the side of his thumb.  
"So what? The Greene's have been feeding them poultry?!" I yelled.  
The door started to shake again and Daryl clasped his hand over my mouth, leading me over to our tent. "Ya gotta be quiet around that barn Kate!"  
"I know, but this is ridiculous! Pet freaking walkers! What, do they think that they are still living?!"  
"Kate..."  
"They're feeding them chicken! Real meat that could go to us but instead they are feeding the hope that it's a sickness, literately!"  
Once again he put his hand on my mouth. "Katie, there is Patricia with a bag. I can't see it anymore but you can."  
I bit my lip. "Kiss me."  
"Now is not the time..."  
"She looks suspicious. Do it."  
He grabbed the back of my head and kissed me passionately. My head started to get light headed again but I kept on watching Patricia as she continued to walk over to the barn. Trying to focus my best on the bag that kept twitching was very difficult for Daryl's lips devoured mine. When he scraped his teeth along my bottom lip I let out a moan.  
"Damn it, I'm trying to focus and it's really hard when you are doing that..."  
He smiled against my lip, bringing it down a notch.  
Patricia checked her surroundings then opened the door, grabbing an alive chicken that wasn't moving and tossing it in the barn, shutting the door tightly behind her before jogging back to the house.  
I hesitantly pulled apart, watching as she tossed the bag into the chicken coop. "I have to tell Rick." I muttered.  
"Rick is gone, along with Shane, Andrea, T-dog, and Carol."  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "Carol?"  
He nodded. "She wanted to learn how to defend herself."  
"So what am I going to do? Sit here until that door budges and kills us all?"  
"If it has been fine this long, it'll last another day"  
I sighed. "What about Carl, huh? He can't defend himself."  
"I thought you were gonna give him self-defence lessons."  
I bit my lip. "Do you think he is well enough yet?"  
He nodded. "I saw the kid running around today, he can shoot a gun."  
"Alright. I'll go find him." I started to walk away before he grabbed my waist and pulled me back so I was facing him. "Yer forgettin' somethin'." He said, his lips in his famous sly smile.  
I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled. "Oh yeah, and what is that?"  
He pressed lips against mine, his hands still firmly gripping my waist. "That."  
"Can I get some more of that later?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.  
Daryl chuckled. "Go see the kid. There will be lots more later if yer good."  
"When am I not good?"  
"I can make a list... just don't kill Andrea when she gets back."  
I pursed my lips, pouting. "Wait, why not? She tried to kill you... she is a danger to the group."  
"Kate, it was an accident."  
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Or she just wanted to play nurse to you..."  
He rolled his eyes. "Go teach the kid."  
"And you'll go rest?"  
He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."  
I kissed his cheek and walked over to Carl who was playing kick the can. "Hey kid, wanna play shoot the can instead?"  
His eyes widened. Yup, he was definitely a Grimes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: ****Thank you so much for all of your beautiful reviews! Since a lot of them were similar, I'm just going to answer them here. About Rick and Katie's past...that you will have to find out in the future so stay tuned. Katie's Honey Badger gun is an ar15 and has a built in silencer. And about making my chapters longer, they really very. I like to end my chapters in dramatic moments or at the end of the episode or day. Some will be short, some will be long. They very. Again, thank you to all you reviews and I look forward to reading some more of them :) -Emma**

* * *

Chapter 23

Rick got back and I was about to pull him aside when Glenn yanked my arm back, pulling me behind the tree. "Don't do it Katie." He hissed. "I promise I will do it tomorrow in front of the whole group. You can even pretend you didn't find out." He pursed his lips. "Does anyone else know?"  
I nodded slowly, still livid at him for keeping this a secret from me. "Yeah, Daryl helped me figure it out."  
"So you two are..."  
"Don't get off topic. There is walkers in the barn!" I snarled at him. "Do you want something to happen where the result is another attack and we lose someone else?"  
Glenn sighed. "No. All I'm asking is twelve hours, or else my relationship with Maggie might be over for forever. Now, I'm not kidding Kate. I trust you. Don't tell a soul. I'll do it tomorrow."  
"No. I'm sorry." I walked over to Rick. "There is walkers in the barn." I said simply.  
My brothers eyes grew on and he led me over to a tree. "What?"  
As Glenn was walking away I grabbed the back off his shirt, yanking him over. "Oh Glenn, don't you want to say something to Rick? Maybe explain this whole thing?"  
Glenn mumbled something, looking down at the floor.  
"Yeah, we can't hear you. Speak up and tell him everything. I'm even curious on how Maggie is involved and why he is keeping them."  
He took a deep breath and Rick leaned against the tree, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
"Alright, so Maggie and I were looking for a place to...hang out."  
"He means bang." I clarified to Rick who probably wouldn't have understood what it is he meant by that.  
Glenn flashed me a look. "Thank you Katherine. So I figured that the barn would be perfect, away from the group, away from her family. So long story short, there's walkers in the barn."  
Rick's eyes went large. "What?"  
"There's walkers in the barn." I repeated, crossing my arms across my chest. "And our friend Glenn didn't even plan to tell us about it."  
"I was conflicted! I would have, but I was still in shock myself and was trying to process it all!"  
My brother narrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, if Glenn didn't tell you, how did you find out?"  
"Well I noticed Glenn going to shave his teeth and Maggie chasing after him. So with the help of Daryl, we figured it out."  
"Shave his teeth?"  
Glenn looked at the floor. "I wasn't thinking... I had too many secrets on my mind." Then he looked up, anger in his eyes. "Should I tell another?"  
"You wouldn't dare." I hissed.  
"Oh, I would." He turned to Rick, revenge in his eyes. "While I may have been having intercourse with Maggie; Daryl Dixon has been banging your little sister.  
Rick's eyes flashed with anger. "What?!" He demanded.  
"Daryl Dixon, the hunter of the group, Katie's best friend, is also her lover."  
My face was as red a cherry. "He's not my lover." I growled.  
"Bull shit Katherine, I saw you making out with him earlier while you were pinned to a tree."  
"Doesn't mean I'm having sex with him!"  
"Yeah, but I'm sure that's still to come! Is that what you were doing all day? Playing baseball with Daryl?"  
I had to clinch my fists tightly to make sure I didn't punch him. "No! I was teaching my nephew how to defend himself while you were hiding!" Glenn was trying to distract Rick, which was working flawlessly. My brother looked so angry that it wasn't funny.  
"You are just trying to avoid the fact that there is ticking time bombs in the barn!"  
Glenn turned to Rick. "Alright. What are we going to do about the walkers?"  
"Kill them!"  
Rick shook his head. "No. Keep this quite till tomorrow morning. That will give me enough time to talk to Hershel. When we are eating breakfast, you'll tell everyone Glenn."  
He groaned. "Maggie's going to hate me..."  
"Now if you'll leave, I have to talk to my sister."  
I bit my lip, running my fingers through my hair as Glenn left. "Rick, I don't need you to try to dictate my life. I can make my own decisions."  
"I know. Which is why I support it."  
My eyes went as wide as the moon. "What? But you were just..."  
"I know. I was in shock. But Daryl is different around you, you're different around him. You're safe with him and even you feel more relaxed. I've seen more 'Katie' then I have since before Shane."  
"So... He's not going to get a talk?"  
"Oh no, he is."  
I bit my lip and looked over to our tent in the distance where Daryl laid, still recovering from all that happened. "That's wonderful. I'm going to go check on him."  
Rick nodded, not very sure. "Is that why your lips were puffy yesterday?"  
I shot him a glare. "No, it was an allergic reaction." I said sarcastically. "You should go check on Carl."  
"Where is he?"  
I then kissed his cheek. "Carl was tiered after all his shooting. He's pretty good too. But he is now passed out."  
He laughed a bit, smiling for the first time in a while.  
I then started over to my tent, kicking my boots off and ducking my head inside it. Daryl was trying to sleep, his snore missing as he laid on his back. I stripped off most of my clothes and threw on the shirt I was wearing for the past few nights. I got in the bed and gently rested my head on his chest. "How are you feeling?"  
His eyes fluttered open, smiling a bit when he saw me. "Better now." He mumbled, wrapping his arm around my waist.  
"What was feeling bad?"  
"Nothin' Nurse Grimes. Just missin' ya. What did ya do 'bout the walkers?"  
I groaned. "Well, let's just say it ended better than it could have but it also didn't turn out the best, but then again how could it?"  
"What went on?"  
"Well, I made Glenn tell Rick and I got a little mad so I also told him about Glenn and Maggie." I sighed and sat up, running my fingers through my hair. "Glenn got pissed and tried to distract Rick from the matter by telling him about us."  
Daryl stopped breathing, his eyes wide. "So I'm gonna get shot again?"  
I shook my head. "Actually, no. Rick was pissed at first, but then calmed down, saying something me being myself around you and that he trusts you."  
He let out his breath. "Dodged that bullet... literally."  
I bit my lip, looking in the opposite direction. "Not exactly. The bullet will graze you again. Rick will give you the famous big brother talk he has given any guy I'm with."  
"I thought that was the dad's job..."  
I slid down next to him. "No. My dad... I don't think much about him."  
"Is that why ya haven't told me about any of yer family other than yer brother?"  
"It's complicated Daryl. Lori doesn't even know, let alone Carl. I'd rather not even think about it."  
He nodded, pulling me to him. "So did Shane get this famous talk?"  
"Yeah. But it was worse, seeing that he was Rick's best friend."  
"Obviously it didn't work..." He mumbled, not thinking I heard him. "So what am I in for?"  
I crawled on top of him, straddling his chest. "Well, the normal."  
"And that is?"  
I narrowed my eyebrows. "You've never been given the talk to?"  
He shrugged. "Yeah, but not from the guy who pretty much determines my existence."  
"Well, he's probably going to warn you not to hurt me and if you do he'll kill you."  
"Duly noted."  
I kissed under his jaw to the left lightly. "And that you don't touch me."  
"And my consequences?" He asked, his voice breathy.  
I grinned and kissed under his ear. "He'll probably will get a walker to bite you."  
"Then I guess it will be our lil' secret then, huh?"  
"Of course. Unlike Glenn, I can keep those pretty well."


End file.
